Phil SumblerAt some point shortly after 4pm today, Robert Page and his Wales squad will know exactly the challenges and opponents that await them if they are to finally end a 64 year wait for a World Cup finals appearance.
The draw will be made this afternoon for those play offs that will see a seeded Wales play an unseeded side in Cardiff before a final one off match a few days later with the winner of that second game securing a place in Qatar for next year’s final stages.
Wales secured home advantage thanks to a more than credible draw against the World’s top ranked side in Belgium earlier this month and securing the runners up spot in what looked a very tough group when the draw was initially made.
Wales will join some hugely impressive names in the seeded half of the draw where Portugal, Italy and Sweden join us, Scotland and Russia as the six teams that will have home advantage in the first of the play off matches in March.
The unseeded teams are Austria, North Macedonia, Turkey, Poland, Ukraine and the Czech Republic who Wales edged into 3rd place in our qualifying group.
The draw will see a seeded team meet an unseeded team in the semi finals but by the time the draw finishes each nation will know their potential opponents in the final game – the order of the draw will determine who would be at home in that game so there is every chance Wales could retain home advantage in the final should they get there.
Robert Page says that Wales go into the play offs though without fear and ready for whichever opponents come their way this afternoon
โWhen our fans are rocking like they were in the last two games weโll go up against anybody,โ said Page.
โWeโll respect the teams but we donโt fear anybody. Bring it on. I did try to play home advantage down to take the pressure off the players.
โBut theyโre not daft, theyโre intelligent enough to understand the importance of it.
โThe players know what this means to us as a country and as an association. To be part of a World Cup would be unbelievable.”
