Ella Powell says Cymru are “not shying away” from their target of back-to-back wins as they prepare for a crucial double-header against Albania in their bid to reach the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Rhian Wilkinson’s side return to action with a home fixture against Albania at the STōK Cae Ras in Wrexham on Tuesday evening (KO 19:15), before travelling to Elbasan for the reverse tie on Saturday, 18 April (KO 17:00 UK).
Cymru head into the double-header top of Group B1 with four points from their opening two games and will be determined to maintain that momentum on home soil.
“Rhian said it yesterday, on day one of camp, that we are going for two wins,” she said. “I think we’re all aligned with that. We started the campaign relatively well, we’re at the top of the group, and that’s exactly where we want to stay. In order to do that, we need to win our games. So yeah, we’re not hiding away from that – that is our goal.
“It is a bit unusual to be playing a team back-to-back, but I think for us it’s an opportunity to learn really quickly from the first game and go straight into the second one. Obviously, our preparation at the minute is pretty normal going into the first game, and hopefully we figure out what we do well against them and what maybe might not work. Then we can have a really quick turnaround for the second game. But it’s exciting.
“We expect them to be physical, direct. They’ve got some players who are very, very comfortable on the ball. I think individual strengths is something that we’ve looked at as well. We’re just going to look to nullify their directness and hope that we can exploit the gaps that they leave as well.”
Cymru’s campaign began with a 2-2 draw in Czechia in February, followed by an emphatic 6-1 victory over Montenegro in Llanelli. With Czechia expected to be their strongest competition in the group, Elise Hughes’ late equaliser in that opening match could prove decisive in the race for top spot.
“Last year was tough, but it was a year of development,” she admitted. “We played against some of the best teams in the world, and if we want to keep developing as a country, that’s where we want to be – that’s the opposition we want to compete against.
“Football is funny. It does come down to small moments sometimes, and that equaliser from Elise ended up being a massive moment for us. To be on four points now at the top of the table is exactly where we want to be. Kudos to Elise for that goal.”
Cymru managed just one win in 2025 – a 3-2 friendly success over Switzerland in December – but the year also marked significant milestones, including competing in League A of the UEFA Nations League and making their debut at UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.
While results were inconsistent, regularly testing themselves against some of the world’s strongest sides has provided valuable experience, strengthening the squad and better equipping them to compete at the highest level.
“It’s been huge. When you play for your national team, you want to play against the toughest teams in the world,” she added. “Nations League A ended up being the best preparation for us, because we did have such a tough group, and we knew we would in the Euros as well.
“If you go to a major tournament, there are no weak teams. So if we want to be in these tournaments, we’re going to have to play highly ranked teams and get used to competing against them – developing, getting stronger, and being able to take points from them.”
Cymru v Albania
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