🔗 Share this article

Wales' focus are squarely on Thursday's World Cup play-off fixture as they await learning their semi-final and possible final rivals.

Having finished as runners-up in their qualification pool following a dominant 7-1 win over North Macedonia – their biggest success since 1978 – the side will play the semifinal match on their own turf.

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

Ex- Wales striker Rob Earnshaw believes the Dragons will embrace a tie against any team following their latest performance at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his approach is 'bring on whoever, we're ready'," Earnshaw stated.

"Many supporters were saying recently, 'do we actually want Ireland because of that local feel?'. I think many people were hesitant. But personally, that could be incredible.

"So it's that type of situation, indeed, we're ready for Kosovo or the Bosnians and the Albanians are decent and Ireland, naturally, they are a strong team so it will be challenging.

"However you just feel that we'll take anybody at the moment and it doesn't matter, and much of that is because of Craig Bellamy."

Possible Playoff Semifinal Opponents Reviewed

The Welsh squad sit 34th in the FIFA rankings, with Albania 61st, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia 75th and the Kosovan side 84th.

The Albanian national team enjoyed a impressive qualifying run, with their only defeats coming at the hands of their group winners England, who secured full points without allowing a solitary goal.

The Premier League's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Red and Blacks's recognizable names, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who led their scoring tally in qualifying with 3 goals.

It is worth noting, Albania have not yet earned a spot for a FIFA World Cup, though they featured at the 2016 European Championship and the 2024 Euros, failing to reach the last 16 on each occasions.

While Slovenia and Sweden had difficult runs, with both not managing to win a qualifying match, Group B was a straight shootout between Switzerland and Kosovo.

The Swiss finished the six-match qualifiers three points clear of Kosovo, whose one loss was at the hands of the pool winners.

Kosovo include ex- Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's all-time top scorer – in a team aiming for a first major tournament appearance.

They have not yet played Wales.

Bosnia-Herzegovina lost just once in qualifying, and claimed a point additional than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but nonetheless ended two 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 ensured the teams tied in the last game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team won the group.

The Welsh have not managed to beat the Bosnian side in four attempts but experienced a memorable loss against the Dragons as they earned qualification for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman despite losing.

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

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

And finally, we have Republic of Ireland.

After taken just one 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 Euro 2016 winners Portugal before scoring a hat-trick – with the third goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Republic of Ireland surprised Hungary to take second place in Group F in dramatic fashion.

Talisman Seamus Coleman played a vital role in his side's revival while Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the number one position his own.

The Republic of Ireland are without a win in their past four meetings with Wales, defeated in 3 of these, though James McClean shattered the hearts of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's men won a decisive World Cup qualifying match at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.