🔗 Share this article

The team's attention are firmly on Thursday's World Cup playoff fixture as they prepare for discovering their semi-final and possible final challengers.

After finished as runners-up in their qualifying pool thanks to a commanding 7-1 triumph over North Macedonia – their biggest success since 1978 – the side will host the semifinal match on home soil.

They will face either Albania, Bosnia, the Kosovan team or Republic of Ireland in that match on 26 March.

Ex- Wales striker Rob Earnshaw feels the Welsh squad will relish a match against whichever opponent following their latest result at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I know Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his mentality is 'bring on anyone, we're ready'," Earnshaw stated.

"A lot of supporters were wondering recently, 'do we actually want Republic of Ireland because of that local atmosphere?'. I think a number of people were hesitant. But for me, that could be incredible.

"So it's one of those, indeed, we'll take Kosovo or the Bosnians and the Albanians are competitive and Republic of Ireland, of course, they're a capable team so it will be challenging.

"However you just feel that we'll take anyone at the moment and we're confident, and a lot of that is down to Craig Bellamy."

Potential Play-off Semifinal Rivals Assessed

The Welsh squad sit thirty-fourth in the world rankings, with Albania 61st, Republic of Ireland 62nd, Bosnia seventy-fifth and Kosovo 84th.

Albania had a solid qualification run, with their sole losses suffered at the hands of their group winners England, who secured full points without allowing a solitary goal.

Burnley's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Albanian squad's more notable players, although it was ex- Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford striker Rey Manaj who topped their scoring tally in the qualifiers with three goals.

Notably, Albania have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup, although they participated at the 2016 European Championship and the 2024 Euros, failing to reach the last 16 on each occasions.

As Slovenia and Sweden had poor campaigns, with both failing to win a qualifying match, their group was a direct battle between Switzerland and the Kosovan team.

The Swiss ended the six-match campaign 3 points clear of the Kosovans, whose one loss came at the hands of the pool winners.

The Kosovan squad feature ex- Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his country's historic top scorer – in a team aiming for a maiden international competition appearance.

They have never played the Welsh team.

Bosnia were defeated only one time in qualifying, and claimed a point more than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but still finished two points behind of Group H winners Austria.

They were a quarter of an hour away from securing a place at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's equaliser for the Austrians meant the pair tied in the last game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team won the pool.

The Welsh have failed to defeat the Bosnian side in four attempts but experienced a unforgettable defeat against the Dragons as they earned qualification for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman despite the defeat.

Being his country's historic top goalscorer and record appearance player, former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's star player.

The veteran was his squad's leading goalscorer in qualifying with 5 goals.

And finally, we have Republic of Ireland.

Having secured just one point from their first 3 qualifiers, Heimir Hallgrímsson'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 hat-trick – with the third goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to secure runner-up spot in their group in dramatic fashion.

Talisman Seamus Coleman had a crucial role in his team's resurgence while Premier League keeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the starting position his own.

The Republic of Ireland are without a win in their past four meetings with the Welsh, defeated in 3 of those, although James McClean broke the hearts of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's men won a decisive World Cup qualifying match at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.