Wales Set to Take on Anyone in FIFA World Cup Playoff Draw
The team has secured 8 of their recent 16 matches under manager Craig Bellamy
The team's attention are firmly on the upcoming World Cup play-off draw as they await discovering their semifinal and possible final challengers.
Having finished as runners-up in their qualifying group thanks to a decisive 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their largest success since 1978 – Wales will host the semi-final match on home soil.
They will meet either Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo or Ireland in that match on 26 March.
Former Wales forward Rob Earnshaw feels the Welsh squad will relish a match against any team following their most recent performance at Cardiff City Stadium.
"I know Craig Bellamy, we were teammates with him and his mindset is 'bring on anyone, it doesn't matter'," Earnshaw stated.
"Many people were saying recently, 'do we actually want Ireland as it's that local atmosphere?'. I think many people were hesitant. But personally, that would be incredible.
"So it's that type of situation, yes, we're ready for the Kosovans or the Bosnians and the Albanians are decent and Republic of Ireland, of course, they're a very good team so it will be difficult.
"However you just feel that we're prepared for anybody at the moment and we're confident, and much of that is because of Craig Bellamy."
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Wales sit thirty-fourth in the world standings, with Albania sixty-first, Ireland sixty-second, Bosnia 75th and Kosovo eighty-fourth.
The Albanian national team enjoyed a impressive qualifying run, with their sole losses suffered at the hands of Group K winners England, who secured full points without allowing a solitary goal.
Burnley's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Albanian squad's more notable names, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who led their scoring tally in the qualifiers with 3 goals.
It is worth noting, the Albanians have never earned a spot for a FIFA World Cup, although they featured at the 2016 European Championship and Euro 2024, not managing to reach the knockout stages on each occasions.
As Slovenia and Sweden endured difficult runs, with both failing to win a qualification match, Group B was a direct battle between Switzerland and Kosovo.
The Switzerland ended the six-match campaign three points clear of Kosovo, whose single loss was at the hands of the group winners.
The Kosovan squad feature ex- Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's historic leading goalscorer – in a squad targeting a first major tournament appearance.
They have never played Wales.
Bosnia-Herzegovina lost only one time in the qualifiers, and claimed a point additional than Wales managed in their 8 games, but nonetheless finished 2 points adrift of Group H winners Austria.
They were 13 minutes away from securing a place at the World Cup, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians ensured the teams drew in the final game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team won the pool.
The Welsh have failed to beat the Bosnians in 4 attempts but did have a unforgettable loss against Zmajevi as they earned qualification for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman despite the defeat.
Being his nation's all-time top goalscorer and record appearance player, ex- Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia-Herzegovina's standout player.
The veteran was his team's leading goalscorer in qualifying with 5 goals.
And finally, we have Ireland.
After taken only a single point from their first three matches, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the play-offs with successive wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.
Troy Parrott netted the two goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the final goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Republic of Ireland surprised Hungary to take second place in Group F in dramatic style.
Key player Seamus Coleman played a vital role in his team's resurgence while Brentford keeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the number one jersey his own.
Ireland are without a win in their last 4 encounters with the Welsh, defeated in three of those, although James McClean shattered the hopes of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's men won a crucial World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.