Cymru return to 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying on Thursday 4 September as head coach Craig Bellamy and his squad make their longest journey of the campaign to Astana to take on Kazakhstan (3pm).
Goals from Dan James, Ben Davies and Rabbi Matondo ensured that Cymru would claim all three points when the two sides met in Cardiff on the opening matchday back in March with a 3-1 victory. It was the first meeting between the two nations in a senior men’s international match and next month will see the Cymru men’s team play in Kazakhstan for the very first time.
Cymru currently sit second behind North Macedonia in Group J having taken seven points from the opening four games. However, Bellamy’s side are the highest scorers in the group with ten goals, a feat made even more impressive by the fact that nine different players have found the back of the net at this midway point of the qualifying campaign.
Following the 3-1 win over Kazakhstan, Cymru travelled to North Macedonia a few days later and salvaged a point deep into injury time as substitute David Brooks came off the bench to score his first international for a year. Incredibly, the home side had taken the lead in stoppage time, but this Cymru team showed their true character as Brooks levelled matters with the final kick.
“It was a very tough game,” said Brooks to Sgorio after the match. “You always know when you come away to places like this that it’s going to be a challenge. I think we deserved more from the game, but we’ll obviously take a point from where we were with a minute to go.”
The campaign resumed in June with Liechtenstein the visitors to the Cardiff City Stadium and Cymru made light work of their opponents as Joe Rodon, Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore scored the goals in a comfortable 3-0 victory. At the same time, top seeds Belgium were finding out for themselves just how difficult a visit to Skopje can be as they were held to a 1-1 draw by North Macedonia.
“We could have made it a lot more,” explained Bellamy to BBC Match of the Day Wales. “There were good chances created, I liked how we controlled it. When the ball was in play we were really sharp, as soon as they had the ball our reactions were brilliant, which I really wanted, I demanded that today. They couldn’t build anything to get anywhere near our goal. It’s really important, we want to be like that in every game.”
The toughest test of the campaign would face Cymru three days later as they arrived in Brussels to take on Belgium. Undefeated at that point, and after nine games since Bellamy’s appointment last summer, it was clear that Cymru would not go there with any other intention than claiming all three points. It would prove to be one of the most memorable matches in recent Cymru history.
Inside the opening 30 minutes Belgium were three goals ahead as Cymru struggled to contain the individual brilliance of players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku. It was the worst possible start for Bellamy and his squad, but Wilson was handed the opportunity to reduce the deficit from the penalty spot just before half-time and made no mistake to score his second goal of the campaign.
Cymru had shown with the late equaliser in North Macedonia that they were not a team to give up on a situation until the final whistle, and an inspired performance following the restart saw goals from Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson level matters with 20 minutes remaining. However, there would be a bitter twist in the tale as De Bruyne scored a late winner to make it 4-3 to the hosts.
“I’m beyond proud of them and so proud to be their coach,” said Bellamy after what was his tenth match as head coach. “I’ve thanked them because they’ve given me something which I never had in international football, belief. When I played international football I didn’t have belief, I had hope. I don’t want to live in hope, it’s the hope that kills you. There’s a lot of life in this group and I see a lot of life in this team.”
North Macedonia will sit out the competitive action in this international window which gives Cymru the opportunity to move to the top of Group J with a positive result in Astana. Meanwhile, Belgium head to Vaduz to take on Liechtenstein in what is only their third match of the campaign as they were involved in the UEFA Nations League back in March.
Although Cymru only have one competitive fixture next month, Bellamy’s side are also in action against Canada in an International Challenge Match at the Swansea.com Stadium on Tuesday 9 September (7.45pm). This will be the fourth meeting between the two nations with Cymru winning the last match 1-0 back in 2004. Tickets for the match can be bought here.
