Craig Bellamy's squad Ready to Take on Anyone in FIFA World Cup Qualifying Fixture
Wales have won 8 of their recent sixteen matches with coach Craig Bellamy
The team's attention are squarely on the upcoming World Cup play-off draw as they prepare for learning their semi-final and potential final rivals.
Having finished as runners-up in their qualification group following a commanding 7-1 triumph over North Macedonia – their biggest win since 1978 – the side will play the semifinal encounter on their own turf.
They will play against either the Albanian side, Bosnia, Kosovo or Ireland in that match on 26 March.
Former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw feels the Welsh squad will relish a tie against whichever team following their most recent performance at Cardiff City Stadium.
"I know Craig Bellamy, we were teammates with him and his mentality is 'bring on whoever, we're ready'," Earnshaw commented.
"A lot of supporters were asking last night, 'should we really want Republic of Ireland as it's that derby atmosphere?'. I think a number of people didn't. But personally, that would be incredible.
"So it's that type of situation, yes, we'll take the Kosovans or the Bosnians and Albania are not bad and Ireland, naturally, they're a capable team so it will be difficult.
"But the sense is that we're prepared for anyone at the moment and it doesn't matter, and much of that is because of Craig Bellamy."
Potential Playoff Semifinal Opponents Assessed
The Welsh squad are placed thirty-fourth in the FIFA rankings, with the Albanian team 61st, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina 75th and the Kosovan side eighty-fourth.
The Albanian national team enjoyed a impressive qualification run, with their only defeats suffered at the hands of Group K winners England, who claimed maximum points without conceding a single goal.
Burnley'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 goal chart in qualifying with 3 goals.
Importantly, the Albanians have not yet earned a spot for a FIFA World Cup, though they featured at the 2016 European Championship and Euro 2024, failing to reach the last 16 on each occasions.
As Slovenia and Sweden had poor campaigns, with each not managing to win a qualifying match, their group was a direct battle between Switzerland and Kosovo.
The Swiss finished the six-game campaign 3 points clear of the Kosovans, whose single defeat came at the hands of the pool winners.
The Kosovan squad feature former Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his country's historic top scorer – in a team aiming for a maiden international competition appearance.
They have not yet played Wales.
Bosnia-Herzegovina were defeated only one time in the qualifiers, and earned a point more than the Welsh managed in their eight games, but nonetheless ended 2 points adrift of their group winners Austria.
They were 13 minutes away from clinching a spot at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's equaliser for the Austrians ensured the teams drew in the final game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the group.
The Welsh have not managed to defeat the Bosnian side in 4 matches but experienced a unforgettable defeat against the Dragons as they earned qualification for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman even after the defeat.
Being his country's all-time leading scorer and record appearance player, former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is undoubtedly Bosnia-Herzegovina's key player.
The veteran was his team's top scorer in the qualifiers with 5 goals.
Lastly, we have Ireland.
After taken only a single point from their first three matches, Heimir HallgrĂmsson's side stormed into the playoffs 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 arriving in the 96th minute – as the Irish surprised Hungary to take runner-up place in Group F in dramatic fashion.
Talisman Seamus Coleman had a vital role in his side's revival while Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the number one position his to keep.
Ireland are without a win in their past four meetings with the Welsh, defeated in three of those, though James McClean shattered the hearts of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's team won a decisive World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.
