Wales suffered another penalty shootout heartbreak as Bosnia and Herzegovina won 4-2 on spot-kicks to dash their World Cup hopes. Two years after losing to Poland on penalties, Craig Bellamy's side saw Brennan Johnson spoon over and Neco Williams' penalty saved by Nikola Vasilj after a long night in Cardiff. The match went more than 133 minutes before the shootout decided the tie.
Daniel James had put Wales ahead seven minutes into the second half with a stunning 25-yard strike, but Edin Dzeko equalised with a header in normal time to force extra time. Tarik Muharemovic made a crucial headed block to deny Harry Wilson, and substitute Kerim Alajbegovic scored the decisive penalty for Bosnia. Wales now face a meaningless game against Northern Ireland, while Bosnia host Italy for a spot in the finals.
Bellamy rejected the 'hard-luck Wales' narrative, saying: 'We expect to be at major tournaments. I'm definitely proud, but disappointed we weren't able to make it to back-to-back World Cups.' Despite dominating the first half, Wales were left numb as their World Cup dream ended in familiar fashion.
