Wales Set to Take on Whichever Opponent in FIFA World Cup Qualifying Fixture
Wales have won 8 of their previous 16 matches under manager Craig Bellamy
The team's attention are firmly on the upcoming World Cup play-off fixture as they await learning their semifinal and potential final rivals.
After ended as runners-up in their qualification pool following a commanding 7-1 triumph over North Macedonia – their largest win since 1978 – Wales will play the semi-final match on their own turf.
They will play against either Albania, Bosnia, the Kosovan team or Republic of Ireland in that fixture on 26 March.
Ex- Wales striker Rob Earnshaw thinks the Welsh squad will welcome a tie against whichever opponent after their most recent result at Cardiff City Stadium.
"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, we were teammates with him and his mentality is 'bring on anyone, we're ready'," Earnshaw said.
"Many supporters were saying last night, 'do we actually want Republic of Ireland as it's that derby feel?'. I think a number of people were hesitant. But personally, that could be amazing.
"It's one of those, yes, we're ready for the Kosovans or the Bosnians and Albania are not bad and Republic of Ireland, of course, they're a strong team so they'll be difficult.
"However the sense is that we're prepared for anybody right now and we're confident, and much of that is down to Craig Bellamy."
Potential Play-off Semifinal Rivals Evaluated
Wales sit thirty-fourth in the FIFA standings, with Albania 61st, Ireland sixty-second, Bosnia seventy-fifth and Kosovo eighty-fourth.
Albania 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 among the Red and Blacks's more notable players, although it was ex- Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who led their scoring tally in qualifying with three goals.
Importantly, the Albanians have not yet qualified for a World Cup, although they featured at Euro 2016 and Euro 2024, not managing to advance to the last 16 on both occasions.
As Slovenia and Sweden endured difficult runs, with each not managing to win a qualification match, Group B was a straight shootout between Switzerland and Kosovo.
The Swiss finished the six-game qualifiers three points ahead of Kosovo, 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 historic leading goalscorer – in a squad aiming for a first major tournament appearance.
They have never played Wales.
Bosnia were defeated just once in qualifying, and claimed a points more than the Welsh achieved in their eight games, but still 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 teams tied in the last game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the pool.
The Welsh have failed to beat the Bosnians in four attempts but experienced a memorable defeat against the Dragons as they qualified for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman even after losing.
As his country's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is undoubtedly Bosnia's standout player.
The veteran was his team's top scorer in qualifying with five goals.
Lastly, we have Ireland.
After secured just one point from their first three matches, Heimir HallgrĂmsson's side surged into the play-offs with back-to-back wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.
Troy Parrott netted the two goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before bagging a triple – with the third goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to secure runner-up spot in their group in thrilling style.
Talisman Seamus Coleman had a crucial role in his team's resurgence while Premier League keeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the number one jersey his own.
The Republic of Ireland are without a win in their last 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 men won a crucial World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.