🔗 Share this article

Wales' focus are firmly on the upcoming World Cup play-off fixture as they prepare for learning their semi-final and possible 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 – the side will play the semi-final match on home soil.

They will play against either the Albanian side, Bosnia, the Kosovan team or Ireland in that match on 26 March.

Ex- Wales striker Rob Earnshaw thinks the Welsh squad will relish a match against any team following their most recent result at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, we were teammates with him and his approach is 'bring on whoever, it doesn't matter'," Earnshaw commented.

"A lot of people were wondering recently, 'should we actually want Ireland as it's that derby feel?'. In my view a number of people didn't. But personally, that would be incredible.

"It's one of those, indeed, we're ready for Kosovo or the Bosnians and the Albanians are competitive and Republic of Ireland, naturally, they are a capable team so it will be difficult.

"However the sense is that we'll take anybody right now and we're confident, and a lot of that is because of Craig Bellamy."

Possible Playoff Semifinal Opponents Reviewed

The Welsh squad sit thirty-fourth in the FIFA rankings, with Albania 61st, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina 75th and the Kosovan side 84th.

The Albanian national team had a strong qualification run, with their only losses suffered at the hands of Group K winners England, who claimed maximum points without allowing a solitary goal.

Burnley's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are among the Albanian squad's recognizable names, though it was ex- Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who led their scoring tally in the qualifiers with three goals.

Notably, Albania have not yet qualified for a World Cup, though they participated at Euro 2016 and the 2024 Euros, failing to advance to the knockout stages on both occasions.

As Slovenia and Sweden had torrid runs, with each not managing to win a qualification match, Group B was a straight shootout between Switzerland and Kosovo.

The Switzerland finished the six-game qualifiers three points ahead of the Kosovans, whose single loss came at the hands of the pool winners.

Kosovo include ex- Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his country's historic top scorer – in a team aiming for a maiden major tournament appearance.

They have never played the Welsh team.

Bosnia were defeated just once in the qualifiers, and claimed a points more than Wales achieved 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 World Cup, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians ensured the pair tied in the final game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the pool.

Wales have not managed to defeat the Bosnians in four matches but experienced a memorable loss against the Dragons as they qualified for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman even after the defeat.

Being his country's historic leading scorer and record appearance player, ex- Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia-Herzegovina's standout player.

The 39-year-old was his team's leading goalscorer in qualifying with five goals.

Lastly, we have Ireland.

After taken just one 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 netted both goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before scoring a triple – with the final goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Republic of Ireland stunned Hungary to secure runner-up place in Group F in thrilling fashion.

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

Ireland are winless in their past four encounters with Wales, losing three of those, although James McClean shattered the hearts of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's team won a crucial World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.