Wales navigated a potentially tricky World Cup qualifying fixture in Vaduz, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Liechtenstein. The win, earned through a second-half goal from Jordan James, sets up a monumental final group match against North Macedonia with a home play-off semi-final at stake.
James Breaks Down Stubborn Liechtenstein
For over an hour, Wales were frustrated by a resolute Liechtenstein defence, ranked 206th in the world. The Welsh side thought they had taken the lead in the first half, but Nathan Broadhead's effort was disallowed after a VAR check for offside. The breakthrough finally came after 61 minutes when Daniel James delivered a perfect cross for namesake Jordan James to slot home from close range for his first international goal.
Assistant manager Piet Cremers, standing in for the suspended Craig Bellamy, acknowledged the challenge. "This is a type of game where everyone expects you to win 5-0, 6-0, 7-0, but when you come to these places it can be a difficult game," Cremers said. "It's a team that's very well organised, they keep the spaces small, and try to limit your chances."
Victory Comes at a Cost for Wales
The precious three points were marred by a significant double blow for Wales' midfield. Both captain Ethan Ampadu and goalscorer Jordan James received their second yellow cards of the competition, ruling them out of the crucial North Macedonia clash through suspension. This forces manager Craig Bellamy into a complete revamp of his central midfield for the decisive qualifier.
Cremers addressed the suspensions pragmatically, stating, "It's never nice to lose players through suspension or an injury. But I've learned very quickly in this job that there's nothing you can do about it. You have to deal with it and we've got a really good squad."
Everything on the Line Against North Macedonia
The result means Wales are now level on points with second-placed North Macedonia in Group J. The two teams will face off at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday in a winner-takes-all encounter. A victory for Wales would see them finish above their opponents and secure a home semi-final in the World Cup play-offs next March.
Failure to win would consign Wales to the fourth pot for the play-off draw, meaning they would face a difficult away tie against a top seed such as Italy, Poland, Turkey, or Ukraine. Cremers confirmed the team's focus has immediately shifted, saying, "We knew we had to take care of today. We did that and now our focus goes to North Macedonia. It will be another difficult game in Cardiff but we play at home, we've got our fans in numbers and we'll look to turn it into a positive result."
