Ethan Ampadu has called on his Cymru teammates to fully harness their home advantage as they prepare to kick off their FIFA World Cup play-off campaign.
Cymru begin their journey with a semi-final clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina at a sold-out Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday night. Victory would book their place in the decisive final on Tuesday 31 March, where they will face either Northern Ireland or Italy – once again on home soil.
Under Craig Bellamy, Cymru have built impressive momentum in recent months. Their emphatic 7–1 victory over North Macedonia highlighted their attacking quality, with Harry Wilson netting a hat-trick alongside goals from David Brooks, Brennan Johnson, Dan James and Nathan Broadhead.
With a place at the World Cup in North America at stake, Ampadu believes the Red Wall can once again play a defining role.
“It can drag us over the line. That was shown in the last play-offs when we got to the World Cup,” he said. “We know games are going to be difficult, and the fans are the 12th man. No matter what happens, they’re right behind us. It gives you confidence – you might run that little bit further without even thinking about it because they push you on. It’s so exciting to play in front of the Red Wall. A lot of people know that. So for us, having that home advantage is massive – but it’s only massive if we use it and take advantage of it.
“Controlling emotions will also key on Thursday, we can’t let the occasion get to us. Players who’ve played in playoffs before have that experience – we know games can be frustrating at times. We’ll try to frustrate them too when they have the ball. But it’s still a game of football – we’re all professionals and know how these games go. For us, it’s about sticking to our game plan, staying level-headed, keeping emotions in check, and showing the level we know we can reach – and hopefully going beyond that.”
Cymru approach the play-offs with a reshaped squad. Danny Ward and Rabbi Matondo return to the fold, while Ben Davies, Chris Mepham and Kieffer Moore are sidelined through injury. Despite those absences, Ampadu remains confident in the squad’s depth and adaptability.
“It’s never easy when you miss players, but one thing we’ve always tried to do here, no matter who’s missing, is adapt,” he explained. “We’ve got a squad full of confidence in the fact that no matter who’s called upon, in whatever position, everyone will be able to deliver. Everyone knows the roles and responsibilities it takes to play in this team. So no matter who plays, you’re going to get a team that’s hungry to achieve what we want to achieve.”
Much of Cymru’s recent success has been driven by Wilson’s outstanding form. His hat-trick in the last outing took him to 17 international goals in 67 appearances, underlining his growing influence within the squad — and marking his fifth goal of the World Cup qualifying campaign.
“He’s massively important,” Ampadu said of his teammate. “I think he’s not just showing that this season – he’s getting a lot of credit from the wider audience, which he fully deserves, and probably deserves even more. But us here, and me personally having known him for a lot of years, we know what he’s capable of.
“He’s the one who can deliver in those magic moments. When you’ve got a player like that in your dressing room, knowing what he can do and deliver, it’s very confidence-boosting. So yeah, he’s obviously a very important player with how he’s playing. But like I said, we’ve got a squad full of players who can deliver when called upon.”
Cymru finished runners-up behind Belgium in Group J in November, capping off an impressive qualifying campaign. They proved their quality by competing confidently with the top seeds in the group, while also delivering crucial victories both at home and on the road. Ampadu believes the side is still evolving under Bellamy and capable of reaching even higher levels.
“I think the more you play in the system and with a group of players, the more understanding you have of what’s being asked of you,” he said. “There are definitely a lot of good things we’ve done, but what’s exciting is that there’s still a lot of potential and things we want to do better. It’s about bringing that together.
“Thursday night is a great chance to show where we’re at. I don’t want to say we’re peaking, because hopefully there are still levels for us to reach. But the confidence we can take from going toe-to-toe with teams and producing those performances is really exciting going into Thursday.”
Cymru are now just two wins away from securing a place at their second World Cup since 1958. For Ampadu, the opportunity carries huge significance, but his focus remains firmly on the immediate challenge ahead.
“It would be very special to qualify,” he said. “I think everyone as a kid grows up getting excited for a World Cup and wanting to play there. To have lived through that moment of achieving it gives you that feeling to want to do it again. But also, when we got there, we didn’t play as well as we could have. So it’s about wanting to put that right and making sure we deliver the performances. But like I said, we have to make sure we get through Thursday first.”
Cymru v Bosnia and Herzegovina
Get all the pre-match build up.
