Wales Set to Take on Anybody in World Cup Playoff Fixture
Wales have won 8 of their last sixteen matches with coach Craig Bellamy
Wales' attention are squarely on the upcoming World Cup playoff fixture as they prepare for learning their semifinal and possible final challengers.
Having ended as runners-up in their qualification pool following a decisive 7-1 win over North Macedonia – their largest success since 1978 – the side will play the semi-final match on their own turf.
They will play against either Albania, Bosnia, the Kosovan team or Ireland in that match on 26 March.
Former Wales forward Rob Earnshaw believes the Welsh squad will relish a match against any opponent after their most recent performance at Cardiff City Stadium.
"I know Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his mindset is 'bring on whoever, we're ready'," Earnshaw commented.
"Many fans were wondering recently, 'should we actually want Republic of Ireland as it's that local feel?'. In my view a number of supporters didn't. But personally, that would be fantastic.
"So it's one of those, indeed, we're ready for Kosovo or the Bosnians and the Albanians are decent and Ireland, naturally, they're a capable team so they'll be difficult.
"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."
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Wales sit 34th in the world standings, with the Albanian team 61st, Republic of Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina 75th and the Kosovan side 84th.
Albania enjoyed a solid qualification run, with their only losses suffered at the hands of Group K winners England, who secured maximum points without conceding a single goal.
The Premier League's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Albanian squad's recognizable players, although it was ex- Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who topped their goal chart in qualifying with 3 goals.
It is worth noting, Albania have not yet qualified for a World Cup, though they featured at the 2016 European Championship and the 2024 Euros, failing to reach the last 16 on each occasions.
As Slovenia and Sweden had poor runs, with both failing to win a qualification match, their group was a straight shootout between Switzerland and the Kosovan team.
The Swiss finished the six-match campaign 3 points ahead of the Kosovans, whose one loss was at the hands of the pool winners.
Kosovo include former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's all-time top scorer – in a team aiming for a maiden international competition appearance.
They have not yet faced the Welsh team.
Bosnia lost only one time in qualifying, and claimed a points additional than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but nonetheless finished two points behind of their group winners Austria.
They were a quarter of an hour away from clinching a place at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's equaliser for the Austrians meant the pair drew in the final game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team won the group.
Wales have failed to beat the Bosnians in four matches but experienced a memorable loss against the Dragons as they earned qualification for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman even after the defeat.
Being his country's all-time top goalscorer and record appearance player, ex- Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia-Herzegovina's star player.
The 39-year-old was his squad's leading goalscorer in the qualifiers with five goals.
And finally, we have Republic of Ireland.
After secured only a single point from their first 3 matches, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the playoffs with back-to-back wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.
Troy Parrott netted both goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a triple – with the third goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to secure second spot in their group in dramatic fashion.
Talisman Seamus Coleman had a vital role in his team's revival while Premier League keeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the number one position his own.
Ireland are winless in their past 4 encounters with Wales, defeated in three of these, although James McClean broke the hearts of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's men won a crucial World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.