The Welsh team Prepared to Challenge Whichever Opponent in World Cup Playoff Draw
Wales have won eight of their last sixteen matches with manager Craig Bellamy
The team's sights are firmly on Thursday's World Cup play-off fixture as they prepare for discovering their semi-final and possible final rivals.
Having finished as runners-up in their qualification group thanks to a decisive 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their largest success since 1978 – Wales will play the semi-final match on their own turf.
They will play against either the Albanian side, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Kosovan team or Republic of Ireland in that match on 26 March.
Former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw feels the Welsh squad will welcome a match against whichever team following their latest performance at Cardiff City Stadium.
"I know Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his approach is 'give us whoever, it doesn't matter'," Earnshaw said.
"Many supporters were wondering recently, 'do we actually want Ireland because of that derby atmosphere?'. In my view a number of people didn't. But personally, that would be fantastic.
"So it's that type of situation, yes, we're ready for Kosovo or Bosnia and the Albanians are decent and Republic of Ireland, naturally, they're a capable team so they'll be tough.
"However the sense is that we'll take anybody at the moment and we're confident, and much of that is down to Craig Bellamy."
Possible Playoff Semi-final Opponents Evaluated
The Welsh squad sit 34th in the world standings, with the Albanian team sixty-first, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia seventy-fifth and the Kosovan side 84th.
Albania enjoyed a strong qualification run, with their sole defeats coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who secured full points without allowing a single goal.
Burnley's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are among the Albanian squad's recognizable players, though it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who led their scoring chart in qualifying with three goals.
It is worth noting, the Albanians have not yet earned a spot for a FIFA World Cup, although they featured at Euro 2016 and the 2024 Euros, failing to advance to the last 16 on both times.
While Slovenia and Sweden endured poor campaigns, with each failing to win a qualifying match, Group B was a direct battle between Switzerland and the Kosovan team.
The Switzerland finished the six-game qualifiers three points clear of Kosovo, whose single defeat was at the hands of the pool winners.
Kosovo feature former Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's historic leading goalscorer – in a team aiming for a maiden international competition appearance.
They have never faced Wales.
Bosnia-Herzegovina were defeated just once in the qualifiers, and earned a points more than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but still finished 2 points behind of Group H winners Austria.
They were 13 minutes away from clinching a place at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians meant the teams drew in the last game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the group.
Wales have not managed to defeat the Bosnians in 4 attempts but experienced a unforgettable defeat against the Dragons as they qualified for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman even after the defeat.
Being his nation's historic leading scorer and record appearance player, former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is undoubtedly Bosnia's key player.
The 39-year-old was his squad's leading goalscorer in qualifying with five goals.
Lastly, we have Ireland.
After secured only a single point from their first 3 matches, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side surged into the play-offs with back-to-back wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.
Troy Parrott netted both goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a triple – with the third goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Republic of Ireland surprised Hungary to secure runner-up spot in Group F in thrilling style.
Talisman Seamus Coleman had a vital role in his side's resurgence while Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the number one jersey his to keep.
Ireland are winless in their past 4 encounters with the Welsh, losing three of those, though James McClean shattered the hopes of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's men won a crucial World Cup qualifying match at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.