Craig Bellamy praised Wales’ victory over Kazakhstan despite significant logistical challenges. He acknowledged the team’s resilience in overcoming limited preparation and travel fatigue. Bellamy also highlighted the emergence of young talent and looked ahead to crucial upcoming matches in their World Cup qualifying campaign, maintaining optimism about Wales’ chances of reaching the 2026 World Cup.
Wales manager Craig Bellamy has lauded his team's performance following a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Kazakhstan in a World Cup qualifier held at the Astana Arena. Bellamy acknowledged the challenges posed by the extensive travel and limited preparation time, admitting that the win was particularly satisfying under the circumstances.
"Preparation for this was crazy," Bellamy confessed. "I'm not going tell you before it. Some players turn up on Sunday, transfer deadline day on Monday and a few of our boys were involved. Then we travelled Tuesday, trained Wednesday – one session. Four hours' time difference, artificial pitch. It's so new." The match required a 7,000-mile round trip, the longest the Welsh team has ever undertaken for a qualifier. The squad also had only one training session before the game, and encountered an artificial pitch upon arrival in Astana.
Image source, FAWWales have lost just once in 11 matches under Craig Bellamy
Bellamy emphasized the need to adapt to circumstances, noting that several players were involved in transfer deadline day activities just before the match. He acknowledged that the unfamiliar artificial pitch and the time difference added to the complexity of the situation. Despite the challenges, Bellamy expressed satisfaction with securing the victory, stating, "It adds to the excitement, but I was a little bit more in the unknown than I would usually like to be."
Reflecting on the game, Bellamy admitted that while Wales controlled the first half, they allowed Kazakhstan back into the match in the second half. He stressed the importance of securing points in qualifying campaigns, even if the performance isn't flawless. "To come away with a win, I'm really picky with performances but I don't care," Bellamy said. "I can travel back, try to get back into the time zone and prepare for the next game. Certain parts of the performance I'd love to be better. I'm very greedy with that, but I sort of live in a real world as well." He highlighted the emergence of 19-year-old centre-back Dylan Lawlor, who made his debut due to injuries and delivered a "brilliant" performance, adding depth to the team's defensive options.
Image source, FAWWales captain Ben Davies has won 96 caps for his country
Looking ahead, Wales will play friendlies against Canada and England, followed by a match against Belgium at Cardiff City Stadium on 13 October. Bellamy acknowledged the importance of winning their remaining matches to maintain a realistic chance of topping their group. He maintains a belief in his team's capabilities, despite their earlier defeat to Belgium. Bellamy hinted at a level of unpredictability, drawing on their experience in the Nations League where unexpected results led to their group victory.
While acknowledging Belgium as favorites, Bellamy remains optimistic about Wales' chances of securing a play-off spot, either by finishing second or through their Nations League performance. He hopes the road to the 2026 World Cup won't be as challenging as their recent trip to Kazakhstan.