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Wales' focus are squarely on the upcoming World Cup playoff fixture as they await learning their semi-final and potential final rivals.

Having finished as runners-up in their qualification group following a commanding 7-1 triumph over North Macedonia – their largest success since 1978 – Wales will host the semi-final match on home soil.

They will play against either Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Kosovan team or Ireland in that match on 26 March.

Ex- Wales forward Rob Earnshaw thinks the Dragons will welcome a match against whichever team after their latest result at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, we were teammates with him and his approach is 'give us whoever, we're ready'," Earnshaw stated.

"Many supporters were saying last night, 'should we actually want Ireland because of that derby feel?'. I think a number of people were hesitant. But for me, that could be fantastic.

"It's that type of situation, indeed, we'll take Kosovo or Bosnia and the Albanians are competitive and Ireland, of course, they are a very good team so it will be difficult.

"However you just feel that we'll take anybody at the moment and we're confident, and much of that is because of Craig Bellamy."

Potential Playoff Semi-final Rivals Assessed

Wales are placed 34th in the world standings, with Albania sixty-first, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia seventy-fifth and the Kosovan side eighty-fourth.

Albania enjoyed a solid qualification run, with their sole losses coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who secured maximum points without conceding a single goal.

Burnley's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Red and Blacks's more notable players, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who led their goal chart in qualifying with three goals.

Importantly, Albania have not yet earned a spot for a World Cup, though they participated at the 2016 European Championship and Euro 2024, failing to advance to the last 16 on each occasions.

As Slovenia and Sweden endured poor campaigns, with each failing to win a qualifying match, their group was a straight shootout between Switzerland and Kosovo.

The Switzerland finished the six-match qualifiers 3 points clear of the Kosovans, whose one loss was at the hands of the group winners.

Kosovo include former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's historic top scorer – in a team targeting a maiden major tournament appearance.

They have never faced the Welsh team.

Bosnia-Herzegovina were defeated only one time in qualifying, and earned a point more than Wales managed in their 8 games, but nonetheless finished two points adrift of Group H winners Austria.

They were 13 minutes away from clinching a place at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians meant the teams tied in the final game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the group.

The Welsh have not managed to beat the Bosnians in 4 attempts but experienced a unforgettable defeat against Zmajevi as they earned qualification for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman even after the defeat.

Being his country's all-time top goalscorer and record appearance player, former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia-Herzegovina's star player.

The veteran was his squad's leading goalscorer in the qualifiers with 5 goals.

Lastly, we have Ireland.

Having secured just one point from their first three qualifiers, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the play-offs with back-to-back wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott netted the two goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the third goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Republic of Ireland stunned Hungary to take runner-up place in their group in thrilling style.

Talisman Seamus Coleman had a vital role in his side's revival while Premier League goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the starting position his own.

The Republic of Ireland are winless in their past four meetings with the Welsh, defeated in three of these, though James McClean shattered the hopes of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's team won a crucial World Cup qualifying match at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.