Wales Ready to Take on Anybody in World Cup Playoff Fixture
Wales have won 8 of their recent sixteen matches with coach Craig Bellamy
The team's sights are squarely on the upcoming World Cup playoff fixture as they await learning their semifinal and potential final challengers.
After ended second in their qualification pool following a dominant 7-1 win over North Macedonia – their largest success since 1978 – the side will play the semi-final encounter on home soil.
They will meet either the Albanian side, Bosnia, Kosovo or Republic of Ireland in that match on 26 March.
Former Wales forward Rob Earnshaw feels the Welsh squad will embrace a tie against whichever 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, we're ready'," Earnshaw said.
"Many people were saying last night, 'should we really want Republic of Ireland as it's that derby feel?'. I think a number of supporters didn't. But personally, that could be incredible.
"It's one of those, yes, we'll take Kosovo or the Bosnians and the Albanians are decent and Republic of Ireland, naturally, they're a very good team so they'll be challenging.
"However you just feel that we'll take anyone at the moment and it doesn't matter, and much of that is down to Craig Bellamy."
Possible Play-off Semifinal Opponents Reviewed
Wales are placed thirty-fourth in the world standings, with Albania sixty-first, Republic of Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina 75th and Kosovo eighty-fourth.
The Albanian national team had a impressive qualifying run, with their only losses suffered at the hands of Group K winners England, who claimed full points without allowing a single goal.
The Premier League's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Red and Blacks's prominent players, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who topped their scoring tally in qualifying with 3 goals.
Importantly, Albania have never earned a spot for a FIFA World Cup, though they featured at Euro 2016 and Euro 2024, not managing to advance to the knockout stages on both occasions.
As Slovenia and Sweden endured poor campaigns, with each not managing to win a qualification match, their group was a direct battle between Switzerland and Kosovo.
The Swiss ended the six-game campaign three points clear of Kosovo, whose one defeat was at the hands of the pool winners.
The Kosovan squad feature former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's historic top scorer – in a team aiming for a maiden major tournament appearance.
They have never played Wales.
Bosnia-Herzegovina were defeated only one time in qualifying, and claimed a point additional than Wales managed in their eight games, but still ended two points adrift of Group H winners Austria.
They were 13 minutes away from securing a place at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians ensured the teams tied in the final game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team won the group.
The Welsh have not managed to defeat the Bosnian side in four attempts but did have a memorable defeat against the Dragons as they earned qualification for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman even after losing.
As his country's historic top goalscorer and most-capped player, ex- Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's star player.
The veteran was his team's top scorer in qualifying with 5 goals.
Lastly, we have Ireland.
After secured just one point from their opening 3 qualifiers, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side surged into the play-offs with back-to-back wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.
Troy Parrott scored the two goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the final goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to secure runner-up spot in their group in dramatic style.
Talisman Seamus Coleman had a vital role in his side's resurgence while Premier League goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the number one jersey his to keep.
Ireland are winless in their past four meetings with the Welsh, defeated in three of those, although James McClean shattered the hopes of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's team won a decisive World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.
