The Welsh team Set to Face Anybody in World Cup Play-off Fixture
The team has secured 8 of their previous 16 matches under manager Craig Bellamy
Wales' focus are squarely on the upcoming World Cup play-off draw as they await learning their semi-final and potential final rivals.
After finished as runners-up in their qualifying group following a decisive 7-1 triumph over North Macedonia – their largest win since 1978 – Wales will play the semi-final encounter on their own turf.
They will play against either Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo or Ireland in that match on 26 March.
Former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw feels the Dragons will welcome a match against any opponent following their latest result at Cardiff City Stadium.
"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, we were teammates with him and his approach is 'bring on anyone, we're ready'," Earnshaw said.
"A lot of supporters were saying recently, 'do we actually want Ireland because of that derby atmosphere?'. I think a number of supporters didn't. But for me, that would be incredible.
"It's that type of situation, indeed, we'll take Kosovo or Bosnia and Albania are not bad and Ireland, of course, they're a capable team so it will be difficult.
"But the sense is that we're prepared for anybody at the moment and it doesn't matter, and a lot of that is because of Craig Bellamy."
Potential Play-off Semifinal Opponents Reviewed
The Welsh squad sit 34th in the FIFA standings, with Albania 61st, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina 75th and Kosovo eighty-fourth.
Albania enjoyed a impressive qualification campaign, with their only defeats coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who claimed full points without allowing a solitary goal.
The Premier League's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are among the Albanian squad's more notable players, although it was ex- Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who topped their goal tally in qualifying with 3 goals.
Notably, Albania have never earned a spot for a World Cup, though they participated at the 2016 European Championship and the 2024 Euros, failing to reach the knockout stages on each occasions.
As Slovenia and Sweden endured torrid campaigns, with both failing to win a qualifying match, their group was a straight shootout between Switzerland and Kosovo.
The Switzerland finished the six-game campaign three points clear of the Kosovans, whose one defeat came at the hands of the pool winners.
The Kosovan squad include former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's all-time leading goalscorer – in a squad aiming for a first major tournament appearance.
They have not yet played the Welsh team.
Bosnia-Herzegovina lost only one time in qualifying, and claimed a points more than the Welsh achieved in their 8 games, but nonetheless finished 2 points adrift of their group winners Austria.
They were a quarter of an hour away from clinching a place at the World Cup, but Michael Gregoritsch's equaliser for the Austrians ensured the teams drew in the last game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team won the pool.
The Welsh have not managed to defeat the Bosnians in 4 attempts but experienced a unforgettable defeat against Zmajevi as they earned qualification for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman despite the defeat.
As his nation's all-time top goalscorer and record appearance player, former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's key player.
The veteran was his squad's top scorer in the qualifiers with 5 goals.
Lastly, we have Republic of Ireland.
After secured just one point from their first 3 matches, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side surged into the playoffs with successive wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.
Troy Parrott scored both goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before scoring a hat-trick – with the third goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned 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 goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the starting position his own.
The Republic of Ireland are without a win in their past four encounters with the Welsh, defeated in three of these, although James McClean shattered the hearts of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's team won a decisive World Cup qualifying match at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.