Kieffer Moore's first-half goal proved decisive as Wales secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Kazakhstan in Astana, moving top of World Cup qualifying Group J. The win, however, was far from comfortable, with the hosts hitting the bar in stoppage time and creating several other chances.
Wales started brightly and took the lead through Moore, who marked his 50th cap with the only goal of the game. But Kazakhstan, ranked 114th in the world, grew in confidence after the break, pressing higher and causing problems on the artificial surface. Wales goalkeeper Karl Darlow and defender Ben Davies were called into action as the visitors clung on.
Head coach Craig Bellamy admitted it was a tough test. 'It was hard work, really hard work. We knew beforehand, Kazakhstan is a very hard place to come. It wasn't as clean as we would have liked, we had to dig in,' he told the BBC. Bellamy praised debutant Dylan Lawlor, saying 'we have gained a player.'
Moore expressed relief after the match. 'Massively relieved. It's safe to say we were on the back foot second half, but to get the three points, we needed that for the team and the campaign.' Midfielder Jordan James added: 'We showed that while we can win games playing well, we can win games playing ugly as well.'
Wales now face Canada in a friendly on Tuesday before hosting Belgium in their next qualifier. They also have fixtures against Liechtenstein and North Macedonia, as well as a friendly against England at Wembley in October.
