Cymru 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cymru lose 4-2 on penalties
- Dan James gave hope scoring to give Cymru the lead
- Edin Džeko scores late to equalise
- Cymru fail to reach the World Cup
Cymru’s FIFA World Cup qualifying hopes ended in agonising fashion as Bosnia and Herzegovina progressed on penalties following a tense 1-1 draw at the Cardiff City Stadium.
In a fiercely competitive play-off semi-final, Cymru produced a disciplined and energetic performance in front of The Red Wall but were ultimately denied by the narrowest of margins.
After a first half of limited chances, Cymru came closest to breaking the deadlock when Harry Wilson struck the crossbar with a curling effort, while the visitors threatened sporadically at the other end.
Cymru made the breakthrough six minutes after the restart through Dan James. Latching onto a loose ball, the winger showed pace and composure to fire home from distance and give the hosts a deserved lead, sparking celebrations around Cardiff City Stadium.
Craig Bellamy’s side looked to build on their advantage, with James twice going close to a second, while goalkeeper Karl Darlow produced a crucial save to deny Ermedin Demirović and preserve the lead.
However, Bosnia and Herzegovina found their moment late in the game. Veteran forward Edin Džeko rose to head home from a corner on 86 minutes, levelling the contest and forcing extra time.
Both sides pushed for a winner across the additional 30 minutes, with Cymru finishing strongly. Harry Wilson went close again, but a decisive goal proved elusive as the tie was settled from the penalty spot.
Cymru made a positive start to the shoot-out, with Harry Wilson converting and Darlow saving from Demirović. However, the momentum shifted as Brennan Johnson fired over and Neco Williams saw his effort saved by Nikola Vasilj.
Bosnia and Herzegovina capitalised, with Kerim Alajbegović scoring the decisive penalty to secure a 4-2 shoot-out victory.
It was a cruel conclusion for Cymru, who delivered a committed performance but were ultimately denied a place in the play-off final on a night of fine margins in the Welsh capital.
With Italy winning their Play-Off Semi-Final 2-0, Cymru will welcome Northern Ireland to Cardiff on Tuesday for an international challenge match.
As it happened
Watch the goals and get post-match reaction
