🔗 Share this article

Wales' sights are squarely on the upcoming World Cup play-off fixture as they await discovering their semifinal and possible final challengers.

Having ended as runners-up in their qualifying pool thanks to a commanding 7-1 triumph over North Macedonia – their biggest win since 1978 – the side will host the semi-final match on their own turf.

They will meet either Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo or Republic of Ireland in that match on 26 March.

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

"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, we were teammates with him and his mentality is 'bring on whoever, we're ready'," Earnshaw said.

"Many supporters were wondering recently, 'should we actually want Republic of Ireland as it's that local atmosphere?'. I think a number of people were hesitant. But for me, that would be amazing.

"So it's one of those, yes, we'll take the Kosovans or Bosnia and the Albanians are competitive and Republic of Ireland, of course, they are a capable team so it will be difficult.

"But you just feel that we're prepared for anyone right now and it doesn't matter, and a lot of that is because of Craig Bellamy."

Possible Play-off Semi-final Rivals Reviewed

Wales sit thirty-fourth in the world rankings, with Albania sixty-first, Republic of Ireland 62nd, Bosnia 75th and Kosovo eighty-fourth.

Albania enjoyed a impressive qualification campaign, with their sole losses coming at the hands of their group winners England, who secured full points without allowing a single goal.

The Premier League's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are among the Red and Blacks's prominent names, though it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who led their scoring tally in qualifying with three goals.

Importantly, the Albanians have never earned a spot for a World Cup, though they featured at the 2016 European Championship and Euro 2024, failing to advance to the knockout stages on each occasions.

While Slovenia and Sweden endured difficult runs, with each failing to win a qualification match, Group B was a direct battle between Switzerland and Kosovo.

The Swiss finished the six-game campaign three points clear of the Kosovans, whose single loss was at the hands of the pool winners.

Kosovo feature former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's historic leading goalscorer – in a team aiming for a maiden major tournament appearance.

They have not yet played Wales.

Bosnia-Herzegovina were defeated just once in qualifying, and claimed a points more than the Welsh achieved in their eight games, but nonetheless ended 2 points adrift of their group winners Austria.

They were 13 minutes away from securing a spot at the World Cup, but Michael Gregoritsch's equaliser for the Austrians meant the teams drew in the last game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team won the pool.

Wales have not managed to beat the Bosnians in four matches but did have a memorable defeat against Zmajevi as they earned qualification for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman even after the defeat.

Being his country's historic leading scorer and record appearance player, ex- Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's standout player.

The 39-year-old was his team's top scorer in the qualifiers with 5 goals.

And finally, we have Republic of Ireland.

Having taken only a single point from their first three matches, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the play-offs with successive wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott scored both goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the third goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to secure second place in their group in dramatic style.

Talisman Seamus Coleman had a vital role in his team's resurgence while Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the starting jersey his to keep.

The Republic of Ireland are winless in their past four meetings with the Welsh, defeated in 3 of those, although James McClean shattered the hopes of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's men won a decisive World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.