Four years ago, Wales qualified for their first World Cup in 64 years with two nervy one-goal victories in Cardiff, spurred on by their bombastic ‘Red Wall’ support. Now, the Dragons are chasing their second Finals appearance in three-and-a-half years and, once again, have been gifted home advantage in, potentially, both play-off contests. Deja vu, much?
An engrossing showdown next Tuesday, most likely against four-time world champions Italy, would await Craig Bellamy’s men if they can see off the threat of Bosnia and Herzegovina and their talismanic 40-year-old captain Edin Dzeko, with 146 caps and 72 goals in his back pocket, on Thursday night. Any temptations from the FAW (Football Association of Wales) to shift these titanic matches to the 80,000-capacity Principality Stadium were rightly ignored. It’s no overstatement to suggest that the raucous home support at the Cardiff City Stadium – with a win-rate around 65 per cent over the past decade – could well make the difference in the next five days.
