Wales Set to Face Whichever Opponent in World Cup Play-off Draw
Wales have won eight of their recent 16 matches under coach Craig Bellamy
The team's focus are firmly on the upcoming World Cup play-off fixture as they await learning their semi-final and potential final challengers.
After finished as runners-up in their qualifying pool following a commanding 7-1 triumph over North Macedonia – their largest success since 1978 – the side will host the semi-final match on home soil.
They will play against either Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo or Republic of Ireland in that fixture on 26 March.
Former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw thinks the Welsh squad will relish a match against whichever opponent following their most recent performance at Cardiff City Stadium.
"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his mindset is 'bring on whoever, it doesn't matter'," Earnshaw commented.
"A lot of people were asking last night, 'do we really want Ireland because of that local atmosphere?'. I think a number of supporters didn't. But for me, that would be amazing.
"So it's that type of situation, yes, we'll take Kosovo or the Bosnians and the Albanians are decent and Republic of Ireland, naturally, they are a strong team so it will be challenging.
"But you just feel that we'll take anyone right now and we're confident, and a lot of that is because of Craig Bellamy."
Possible Playoff Semi-final Opponents Assessed
Wales sit 34th in the world standings, with Albania sixty-first, Republic of Ireland 62nd, Bosnia 75th and Kosovo eighty-fourth.
Albania enjoyed a impressive qualifying campaign, with their sole defeats coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who claimed maximum points without conceding a solitary goal.
Burnley's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are among the Albanian squad's prominent names, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who topped their scoring chart in the qualifiers with three goals.
Importantly, the Albanians have not yet qualified for a FIFA World Cup, though they featured at Euro 2016 and the 2024 Euros, not managing to reach the knockout stages on each occasions.
As Slovenia and Sweden endured poor campaigns, with each failing to win a qualifying match, their group was a straight shootout between Switzerland and Kosovo.
The Switzerland finished the six-game qualifiers three points clear of Kosovo, whose one loss came at the hands of the pool winners.
Kosovo include ex- Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's historic leading goalscorer – in a squad targeting a maiden international competition appearance.
They have not yet faced Wales.
Bosnia-Herzegovina lost only one time in qualifying, and claimed a point more than the Welsh achieved in their eight games, but nonetheless ended two points behind of Group H winners Austria.
They were 13 minutes away from securing a place at the World Cup, but Michael Gregoritsch's equaliser for the Austrians meant the pair tied in the last game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the pool.
The Welsh have not managed to beat the Bosnians in 4 attempts but experienced a memorable defeat against the Dragons as they earned qualification for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman despite losing.
Being his country's historic leading scorer and most-capped player, former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's standout player.
The veteran was his squad's top scorer in qualifying with five goals.
Lastly, we have Republic of Ireland.
Having secured just one point from their first three qualifiers, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the playoffs with successive wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.
Troy Parrott netted both goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before scoring a hat-trick – with the third goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Republic of Ireland stunned Hungary to secure runner-up spot in Group F in dramatic style.
Key player Seamus Coleman had a crucial role in his team's revival while Premier League goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the number one position his own.
Ireland are winless in their last 4 encounters with the Welsh, losing three of these, although James McClean shattered the hopes of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's team won a decisive World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.