🔗 Share this article

The team's sights are squarely on Thursday's World Cup playoff fixture as they await learning their semi-final and possible final challengers.

Having finished as runners-up in their qualification group following a dominant 7-1 win over North Macedonia – their largest win since 1978 – Wales will play the semi-final encounter on their own turf.

They will play against either the Albanian side, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo or Republic of Ireland in that match on 26 March.

Former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw believes the Welsh squad will relish a tie against whichever team after their latest result at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I know Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his approach is 'give us whoever, we're ready'," Earnshaw stated.

"Many people were saying recently, 'do we really want Ireland because of that derby atmosphere?'. In my view a number of people were hesitant. But for me, that would be amazing.

"It's one of those, indeed, we're ready for Kosovo or Bosnia and the Albanians are competitive and Republic of Ireland, naturally, they are a very good team so they'll be tough.

"However the sense is that we're prepared for anyone right now and we're confident, and much of that is down to Craig Bellamy."

Potential Play-off Semifinal Rivals Evaluated

Wales are placed thirty-fourth in the FIFA rankings, with Albania 61st, Republic of Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina seventy-fifth and Kosovo 84th.

The Albanian national team had a strong qualifying run, with their sole defeats suffered at the hands of Group K winners England, who secured maximum points without conceding a solitary goal.

Burnley's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Red and Blacks's recognizable players, although it was ex- Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford striker Rey Manaj who topped their goal tally in qualifying with three goals.

It is worth noting, Albania have not yet qualified for a World Cup, although they participated at the 2016 European Championship and the 2024 Euros, not managing to advance to the last 16 on each occasions.

While Slovenia and Sweden endured torrid campaigns, with both not managing to win a qualification match, Group B was a direct battle between Switzerland and the Kosovan team.

The Swiss ended the six-game campaign three points ahead of the Kosovans, whose single defeat came at the hands of the group winners.

Kosovo feature former Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's all-time top scorer – in a team targeting a first major tournament appearance.

They have never played Wales.

Bosnia-Herzegovina were defeated just once in qualifying, and claimed a point additional than Wales achieved in their eight games, but nonetheless ended two points adrift 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 ensured the teams drew in the final game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team won the group.

Wales have failed to defeat the Bosnians in four attempts but experienced a memorable loss against Zmajevi as they earned qualification for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman despite losing.

As his nation's historic leading scorer and most-capped player, former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's standout player.

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

Lastly, we have Ireland.

After secured only a single point from their first three 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 the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before scoring a triple – with the third goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to take second place in Group F in dramatic style.

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

The Republic of Ireland are winless in their past 4 encounters with Wales, losing three of those, although James McClean broke the hopes of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's men won a crucial World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.