The Welsh team Set to Face Anybody in World Cup Play-off Draw
Wales have won eight of their previous sixteen matches with coach Craig Bellamy
Wales' focus are squarely on the upcoming World Cup playoff draw as they await discovering their semi-final and possible final rivals.
Having ended as runners-up in their qualification pool thanks to a commanding 7-1 win over North Macedonia – their largest win since 1978 – Wales will host the semi-final match on home soil.
They will meet either the Albanian side, Bosnia, Kosovo or Ireland in that fixture on 26 March.
Former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw feels the Welsh squad will relish a tie against any opponent after their most recent result at Cardiff City Stadium.
"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his approach is 'bring on anyone, it doesn't matter'," Earnshaw commented.
"Many supporters were wondering recently, 'do we actually want Ireland because of that local atmosphere?'. I think many supporters were hesitant. But for me, that would be incredible.
"So it's that type of situation, indeed, we'll take Kosovo or Bosnia and the Albanians are competitive and Republic of Ireland, of course, they're a very good team so they'll be tough.
"However the sense is that we'll take anyone at the moment and it doesn't matter, and a lot of that is because of Craig Bellamy."
Possible Play-off Semifinal Opponents Assessed
The Welsh squad sit thirty-fourth in the world standings, with the Albanian team sixty-first, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina seventy-fifth and the Kosovan side eighty-fourth.
Albania had a strong qualification campaign, with their sole losses coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who secured maximum points without allowing a solitary goal.
Burnley's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are among the Red and Blacks's recognizable players, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who topped their goal chart in qualifying with 3 goals.
Importantly, Albania have never qualified for a World Cup, although they featured at the 2016 European Championship and the 2024 Euros, not managing to reach the last 16 on both times.
While Slovenia and Sweden had torrid runs, with each not managing to win a qualifying match, their group was a direct battle between Switzerland and Kosovo.
The Switzerland finished the six-game campaign three points clear of Kosovo, whose one loss was at the hands of the pool winners.
Kosovo feature former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his country's historic leading goalscorer – in a team aiming for a maiden major tournament appearance.
They have not yet faced the Welsh team.
Bosnia were defeated only one time in qualifying, and claimed a point more than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but still finished two points adrift of Group H winners Austria.
They were 13 minutes away from clinching a spot at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's equaliser for the Austrians ensured the pair drew in the final game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the pool.
Wales have not managed to beat the Bosnians in four matches but did have a unforgettable loss against the Dragons as they qualified for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman even after losing.
As his country's all-time leading scorer and record appearance player, former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia-Herzegovina's star player.
The veteran was his team's top scorer in qualifying with 5 goals.
And finally, we have Ireland.
After secured just one point from their first three matches, Heimir HallgrÃmsson's side surged into the playoffs with successive wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.
Troy Parrott netted both goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the final goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to take second spot in their group in dramatic fashion.
Key player Seamus Coleman played a crucial role in his team's resurgence while Brentford keeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the starting position his to keep.
Ireland are without a win in their past 4 meetings with Wales, losing 3 of those, although James McClean broke the hearts of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's men won a decisive World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.
