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Wales missed two penalties in a shoot-out against Bosnia - PA/Nick Potts
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There have been two competitive penalty shoot-outs in the history of the Welsh national team. Both have taken place in the last two years, and both have been brutal experiences for all Welshmen inside the Cardiff City Stadium.
In 2024, it was a shoot-out defeat by Poland that cost Wales a place at the European Championship. This time, the target was different, with Wales dreaming of another World Cup adventure, but the outcome was the same, as a mind-warping tension took hold of the players in red.
As with all shoot-outs, the spotlight shone most harshly on the players who missed: Brennan Johnson and Neco Williams. A brutal outcome for both after an attritional and exhausting match against a physical Bosnia and Herzegovina side.
The loss costs Wales and their head coach Craig Bellamy a shot at Italy next week. How Bellamy would have loved such an occasion, and how he craved victory here on perhaps the biggest night of his young managerial career. He was so emotionally engaged with the game that he clashed on the touchline with the great Edin Dzeko, still going and still scoring at 40, during a frantic period of extra-time.
It was made all the more painful for Wales because they had been only four minutes away from victory in normal time, after Daniel James produced the most remarkable of individual goals. Special occasions call for special moments, and this was certainly one of those: a shot so powerful and so sudden that the initial reaction in Cardiff was not one of delight, but surprise. There was even a small delay before the celebrations began, as if 30,000 people were not entirely sure what had just happened.
DAN JAMESWALES ARE IN FRONT
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— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) March 26, 2026
That goal was good enough to win any game, but Dzeko spoiled the occasion in the 86th minute. The former Manchester City striker’s header served as punishment for Wales’ poor defending, and also for their inability to convert more opportunities at the other end. James and Harry Wilson both struck the woodwork.
Edin Dzeko scores to make it all square at the Cardiff City Stadium️
Watch: @BBCiPlayer & BBC One Wales
Listen: @BBCSounds & @BBCRadioWales
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— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) March 26, 2026
“We’re lost for words,” said Wales captain Ethan Ampadu. “We can hold our heads up high because we fought for everything. Sometimes in life, things do not go your way. We’re always going to look back at what we could have done better, maybe we could have managed the last 10 minutes better to make sure we stayed on the attacking foot. That’s something we can look at in the future, but for now it’s a lot of disappointment.”
Bellamy had spoken about Plan A being “full gas” and Plan B being “even more full gas” but there was no danger of Wales allowing their hearts to rule their heads here. The home fans, who generated a typically spine-tingling atmosphere before kick-off, were soon forced to accept that this would not be an overly aggressive approach from their team. The stakes were simply too high for such recklessness.
Wales were still the more adventurous side, though, and they certainly had the more dangerous attacking players. Only in the final minutes of normal time, when Bosnia pushed for an equaliser, did the visitors look truly capable of hurting Bellamy’s side.
“With 20 minutes left, we stopped playing and we just can’t do that, even though it was understandable,” said Bellamy. “It was a big lesson for us. We wanted to be in a World Cup this summer, but the future is very bright. There are some good years ahead for Wales.”
What a shame for James that his goal will be remembered as a footnote only, rather than as a spectacular winner. It was a ludicrous shot, completely unexpected, and it zipped through the air with such speed that Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj could make no sense of it. Such was the sudden nature of the strike, Vasilj slipped as he tried to adjust.
This moment of class forced Bosnia into a more aggressive approach, with Wales goalkeeper Karl Darlow suddenly busier between the posts. One of his saves, diving to his left to deny Ermedin Demirovic, was almost as impressive as the goal scored earlier in the half by James.
Dzeko’s header, a simple effort from a corner, ultimately forced extra time and the dreaded shoot-out. Wales started well, with Darlow denying Demirovic again, but Johnson fired his effort high over the bar. Williams was similarly unsuccessful as his shot was saved by Vasilj, and Bosnia’s Kerim Alajbegovic gratefully sealed the result.
“We’re devastated,” said the defeated Darlow. “That’s the only word for it.”
Tonali helps Italy set up play-off decider with Bosnia
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Sandro Tonali put Italy ahead in the second half - Chris Ricco/Getty Images
Italy are about to discover how much scar tissue they still carry from their last two World Cup play-off failures.
Gennaro Gattuso’s side navigated the first hurdle by overcoming a dogged Northern Ireland in Bergamo and must now defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina to avoid the ignominy of failing to qualify for a third successive World Cup finals.
Sweden denied Italy a place at the 2018 tournament in Russia before North Macedonia became their nemesis four years later when they missed out on Qatar and the memory of those calamities is likely to loom large over the Azzurri next week.
The anxiety and tension was certainly building in the stands before Sandro Tonali thrashed home a volley from the edge of the D 11 minutes after the restart. Moise Kean put the result beyond any doubt late on for the four-time World Cup winners.
Tonali was not deemed fit enough to play for Newcastle in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at home to bitter rivals Sunderland but the Italy midfielder appeared to be moving freely enough here as he scored the most precious of goals.
Isaac Price headed Matteo Politano’s cross straight into the path of Tonali, who met the ball with a vicious, swerving low drive.
There are likely to be few Italy players as motivated to beat Bosnia than the Newcastle man. After all, he has never featured for his country at a tournament – overlooked by Roberto Mancini for Italy’s Euro 2020 winning squad, part of the group that failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup and banned for Euro 2024 due to breaching gambling laws.
Even if Italy do make it to the US, Canada and Mexico, though, they are only a modest team who seem unlikely to trouble the favourites.
Northern Ireland’s 5-4-1 system frustrated them during a first half in which Michael O’Neill’s team might have asked more questions with a little more composure in the final third. But Italy were much better in the second period and in firm control once ahead.
“We made things difficult for ourselves and were slow off the mark but we picked up the pace in the second half and now we’re off to play in the final,” Gattuso said. “It’ll be tough. We need to recover properly. More pressure? The other team will feel it too. I want to thank the Bergamo crowd. Even in the first half there were very few boos and only applause.”
Paddy McNair felt the game was a missed opportunity for Northern Ireland, who last qualified for a World Cup in 1986. “It is frustrating,” the defender said. “I feel like they were there for the taking. I know Italy is a big nation but, at the minute, they are not at the level they once were so it was frustrating.”
10:47pm
Four Uefa play-off finals to be played on Tuesday
Bosnia vs Italy
Czech Republic vs Denmark
Kosovo vs Turkey
Sweden vs Poland
10:43pm
Czech Republic vs Republic of Ireland sequence
Parrott – scored 1-0
Krejci – scored 1-1
Idah – scored 2-1
Soucek – scored 2-2
Brady – scored 3-2
Chytil – saved 3-2
Azaz – saved 3-2
Schick – scored 3-3
Browne – saved 3-3
Kliment – scored 4-3
10:41pm
Wales vs Bosnia penalty shoot-out
Catching one’s breath I can report the sequence was as follows:
Demirovic – saved 0-0
Wilson – scored 1-0
Tabakovic – scored 1-1
Harris – scored 2-1
Basic – scored 2-2
Johnson – missed 2-2
Hadziahmetovic – scored 2-3
Williams – saved 2-3
Alajbegovic – scored 2-4
10:37pm
Two home nations plus Republic of Ireland out of World Cup
Sorry, that was brutal. Czech Republic win 4-3 on pens.
Bosnia win 4-2 on pens.
Wales, Republic of Ireland and Nortern Ireland are all out.
10:36pm
Kliment scores
Czech Republic knock out Ireland.
10:35pm
Browne’s pen saved for Ireland
So Czechs have one to win it.
10:35pm
Alajbegovic to win it for Bosnia
Scores! Wales are out.
10:34pm
Williams pen is saved for Wales
Wales 2 Bosnia 3
10:34pm
Azaz’s pen is save by Czexhia
Czech Republic 2 Republic of Ireland 3
10:33pm
Advantage Bosnia
Hadziahmetovic scores,
Wales 2 Bosnia 3
10:32pm
Kelleher saves
Czech Republic 2 Republic of Ireland 3
10:32pm
Brennan Johnson blazes over
Wales 2 Bosnia 2
10:32pm
Brady scores for Ireland
Czech Republic 2 Republic of Ireland 3
10:31pm
Basic scores for Bosnia
Wales 2 Bosnia 2
10:31pm
Soucek scores for Czechs
Czech Republic 2 Republic of Ireland 2
10:31pm
Harris scores for Wales
Wales 2 Bosnia 1
10:30pm
Czech Republic score but so does Idah
Czech Republic1 Republic of Ireland 2
10:29pm
Wilson scores for Wales
Wales 1 Bosnia 0
10:29pm
Darlow saves first Bosnia pen
Wales 0 Bosnia 0
10:28pm
Parrott up first
Scores
Czech Republic 0 Republic of Ireland 1
10:26pm
The keepers
Kelleher has saved three penalties for Brentford this season. Darlow was beaten by one that squirmed under him when playing for Leeds against Sunderland.
10:24pm
Full time in both games
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Czech Republic 2 Republic of Ireland 2
Right, let’s see how this goes…
10:23pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Harris flashes a header across goal from the back post in the final seconds of extra time and Thomas balloons an effort, the last of the game, over the bar.
10:19pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Seconds to go and Wales have a corner on the left. Thomas cannot get the elevation and it’s headed away by the front-post sentry.
10:18pm
Szmodics leaves on a stretcher
Harvey Vale will replace him and also makes his debut.
10:17pm
Czech Republic 2 Republic of Ireland 2
Szmodics who had only just come on has taken a horrible blow to the head as he went to challenge out by the touchline. The physio races on and puts him in the recovery position. Looks a bad one in that he seemed to be knocked out. The Czech medical team are also on to help. He is moving now, thankfully.
10:14pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Rodon heads wide from the corner then, after Darlow catches a header from Bosnia, Wales break by virtue of the keeper’s quick release. Harries goes storming through the inside-right channel and is caught by Basic with an excellent interception.
10:10pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Dzeko confronts Bellamy on the touchline, angered, I think, by Wales playing on when Dedic was down with cramp for a second time and won a corner. Dzeko is booked.
10:07pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Nice work from Thomas down the left to send over a brute of a flat cross that Wilson flicks on, just beyond Cullen closing in at the far post.
10:03pm
I’ve done many things in 21 years of live blogging…
But never had to do simultaneous penalty shoot-outs. It’s a prospect I do not relish. Come on Wales, come on Ireland!
10:02pm
Half-time in extra-time
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Czech Republic 2 Republic of Ireland 2
10:01pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Harris is brilliantly tackled at the near post as he tried to flick in Williams’ cross. The ball pinballs out to Ampadu whose shot is deflected behind for a corner that come to naught.
09:58pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Rodon squats to block Demirovic’s shot from 18 yards. That must have hurt.
09:56pm
Czech Republic want a penalty
Molumby jumped to block a shot right on the 18-yard line. Actually he jumped towards the ball and it hit his elbow outside the box, as VAR confirms.
09:53pm
Czech Republic 2 Republic of Ireland 2
Seamus Coleman, who has not played since November 24 and is 37, is replaced and Jimmy Dunne sent on at right-back. Soucek makes one of those typically late runs into the box but hooks his volley over.
09:51pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Wilson comes close when Harris makes a cute lay-off in the box. Wilson perhaps should have hit it first time but took a touch and then tried to feed it into the top left but gave a defender the time to get across and make a header.
09:49pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Men of Harlech rings out but Bosnia capitalise on a sluggish start form a plainly exhausted Wales. But Tabakovic lets them off the hook by skying a right-foot volley.
09:45pm
Bosnia change
Edin Dzeko is being replaced by Hull’s Amir Hadziahmetovic.
09:44pm
Extra-time health check
Jordan James, Dan James and David Brooks have gone off. There’s no Kieffer Moore on the bench to bring on. Liam Cullen, Sorba Thomas and Mark Harris have come on. Bosnia were on top after the Dan James goal and kept Welsh hearts in mouths to the final whistle.
In Prague Robbie Brady and Alan Browne replaced the two players on yellow cards, Ryan Manning and Jack Taylor.
09:40pm
Scores after 90 minutes
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
Czech Republic 2 Republic of Ireland 2
09:39pm
Final score: Italy 2 Northern Ireland 0
Italy are through to a play-off final and will play either Wales or Bosnia next week.
09:38pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 1
So close to stealing it at the death when Ampadu meets Wilson’s corner and heads it towards the right post. Needed a touch bit Bosnia managed to throw bodies into the breach and it looks like extra-time is coming. Wales look knackered.
09:33pmGoals
GOAL!
Czech Republic 2 Republic of Ireland 2 (Krejci) Wolves centre-half and Czechia captain equalises with a near-post header from a corner.
09:30pmVideo • Goals
GOAL!
Wales 1 Bosnia 1 (Dzeko) Darlow saved Wales 10 minutes ago but now dashes out for a corner and doesn’t get there. Dezko got up above the keeper at the near post and flicked his header into the left of goal.
Edin Dzeko scores to make it all square at the Cardiff City Stadium
Watch: @BBCiPlayer & BBC One Wales
Listen: @BBCSounds & @BBCRadioWales
Follow: @BBCSport online
#bbcfootball#WalvBospic.twitter.com/gsmS5fVw8r
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) March 26, 2026
09:25pmVideo • Goals
GOAL!
Italy 2 Northern Ireland 0 (Kean) Indeed they are. Now at least. Kean controls Tonali’s up and under with his right, cuts inside on to his left and smacks a shot past Charles on to the inside of the left post and in.
09:24pm
Italy 1 Northern Ireland 0
Kean’s bicycle volley slides from a right-wing cross. Seems like Italy are pretty much in control.
09:22pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 0
Goodness me Wales are living dangerously Rodon ducks a header in the box thinking Darlow was behind him as the ball was hooped in from the right to to the back post. But Demirovic was right behind him and really should have reached it with a lunge but mercifully, for Wales, he didn’t. His foot or the post are made to pay for his frustration. Not sure which was damaged more when he had an exasperated swipe at it.
09:16pmVideo
James hits the bar, Darlow preserves Wales’ lead
Off the woodwork again
Dan James so close to doubling the lead
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#bbcfootball#WalvBospic.twitter.com/2SBTO3PfVU
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) March 26, 2026
09:08pm
Wales 1 Bosnia 0
Action at both ends in Cardiff, James wriggling through the centre of the box to shoot and a deflection takes it on to the cross-bar, which is still reverberating, and half a minute later Darlow at full stretch claws Dzeko’s header that was bound for the right corner away with his left paw.
09:06pm
Paying the Price
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09:01pmVideo • Goals
GOAL!
Italy 1 Northern Ireland 0 (Tonali) A half-volley from 18 yards smacked with his laces. The Newcastle midfielder pounced on the headed clearance and larruped it past Pierce Charles.
09:00pm
Czech Republic 1 Republic of Ireland 2
Jayson Molumby almost emulates James with a long-range effort in Prague that crashes into the foot of the right post.
08:55pmVideo • Goals
GOAL!
Wales 1 Bosnia 0 (Dan James) A 25-yard rocket on the half-volley having nodded on the pass, steamed past Kolasinac and surprises the keeper by hitting it early. An absolute screamer.
DAN JAMES
Watch: @BBCiPlayer & BBC One Wales
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#bbcfootball#WalvBospic.twitter.com/SQfDUoxnwu
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) March 26, 2026
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08:52pm
Wales 0 Bosnia 0
Darlow and Ampadu, two of four Leeds United players in the Wales XI, almost combine to let Bosnia in. To be fair to Ampadu, he certainly didn’t want Darlow’s straight pass out from the back when he was facing his own goal and being rapidly closed down but he manage to get the first touch on it and Darlow was alert enough to grab it back.
08:49pm
Wales 0 Bosnia 0
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08:40pm
Italy 0 Northern Ireland 0
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Rino Gattuso demands more - Mike Egerton/PA
08:37pm
Half-time scoreboard
Czech Republic 1 Republic of Ireland 2
Denmark 0 N Macedonia 0
Italy 0 Northern Ireland 0
Poland 0 Albania 1
Slovakia 2 Kosovo 1
Ukraine 0 Sweden 1
Wales 0 Bosnia 0
08:35pm
Italy 0 Northern Ireland 0
Some argy-bargy between Donley who was trying to stop Donnarumma, Bastoni and co throttling Galbraith for a snide, late foul for which he somehow escaped a yellow card. The ref breaks it up with a hand to the sternum of Donnarumma and then Donley.
08:30pm
Czech Republic 1 Republic of Ireland 2
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08:29pm
Wales 0 Bosnia 0
Dan James slips having lined up a 25-yard shot and slices it wildly over the bar.
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Wales funnel their attacks through Harry Wilson - Hannah McKay/Reuters
08:27pm
Wales 0 Bosnia 0
Wilson whips over a free-kick on the right, bending it into the box with his left. Lawlor flicks it on but there’s no one there at the back post to creep round and tap it in. Moments later Kolsainac bulldozes Dan James over to concede another free-kick in the same area. Kolasibac is the third Bosnia player to go into the book.
Wilson tries to surprise the keeper with a shot, looking to bend it in at the near post but the keeper is alive to it and bats it away.
08:23pm
Italy 0 Northern Ireland 0
Three corners in a couple of minutes for Italy from which Kean gets stuck in congestion and can’t get his shot away, then heads wide. After Pierce Charles is warned for timewasting over the restart, Italy swarm back and earn another but Northern Ireland see it off fairly comfortably.
08:17pm
Italy 0 Northern Ireland 0
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08:16pm
Wales 0 Bosnia 0
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08:13pmGoals
GOAL!
Czech Republic 1 Republic of Ireland 2 (Schick, pen) Fine penalty into the top right. What was Manning playing at?
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The Czech No 10 Patrik Schick cracks his pen high into the net to get his team back in it. Ryan Manning had pulled Ladislav Krejcí‘s shirt to give away the spot kick
08:12pm
Czech Republic penalty!
Manning shoves the Czech captain over. Schick to take.
08:09pmGoals
GOAL!
Czech Republic 0 Republic of Ireland 2 (Kovar og) Came from a corner on the right. O’Shea beyond the back post headed it across the six-yard box. Coufal tried to block it but knocked it on to the post and from there it bounced on to the keeper’s shoulder and over the line.
08:05pmGoals
GOAL!
Czech Republic 0 Republic of Ireland 1 (Parrott, pen) Keeper went the right way but Parrott buried it into the left corner.
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Parrott gives Ireland the lead - Vit Tcherny/AP
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08:03pm
VAR check for a penalty for Republic of Ireland
Nathan Collins goes down when trying to do something with O’Brien’s long throw. Darida kicked the back of his ankle. Penalty it is!
07:57pm
Cardiff cacophony
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07:56pm
Italy 0 Northern Ireland 0
Northern Ireland are living dangerously, Italy piling on the pressure with Pierce Charles just about keeping a corner out at the near post then saving smartly low to his left from Di Marco’s fierce volley.
07:55pm
Czech Republic 0 Republic of Ireland 0
Two chances for the captain Nathan Collins, the first a rasping effort that crashes into the bar followed by a header from the subsequent corner that was an even better opportunity as he lost his marker in the centre of the six-yard box but glanced it wide.
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07:53pm
Italy 0 Northern Ireland 0
Early free-kick for Northern Ireland on halfway but McConville is penalised for a push with the ball still in the ear.
07:52pm
Wales 0 Bosnia 0
Memic is booked for shoving Wilson over after the Fulham forward burst past him.
07:50pm
Wales 0 Bosnia 0
Early attack by Wales with Dan James played down the right by Justin James’ pass and he whipped over a promising cross that was hacked away before Johnson could get there.
Moments later Dan James is hurt by Kolasinac’s high boot crashing into his thigh. Wales free-kick parallel with the 18-yard line. Wilson takes but Bosnia clear Ampadu’s scuffed header.
07:44pm
All the teams are out
As ever Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau knocks all the other anthems into a cocked hat. But all three venues – Cardiff, Bergamo and Prague – are rocking. With so much on the line we wouldn’t expect anything less.
07:41pm
Irish Republic’s manager on tonight’s tactics
07:24pm
Craig Bellamy on his selection choices
07:17pm
Going flat out?
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07:11pm
The path to the World Cup
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07:06pm
In the one early kick-off
Turkey have knocked out Romania with a 1-0 victory. They will play the winners of Slovakia and Kosovo away to qualify for the World Cup finals.
06:57pm
Northern Ireland fans enjoying Bergamo
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Fans of ‘Our Wee Country’ would love to qualify for their first World Cup since Mexico 86 - Mike Egerton/PA
06:51pm
And now for those of you watching in black and white:
Italy: Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Kean, Retegui.
Substitutes Carnesecchi, Meret, Palestra, Spinazzola, Buongiorno, Raspadori, Pisilli, Esposito, Cristante, Frattesi, Gatti, Scalvini.
Northern Ireland P Charles; Hume, McNair, McConville, Devlin; Shea Charles, Galbraith; Devenny, Spencer, Price; Donley.
Substitutes Peacock-Farrell, Hazard, Toal, Atcheson, Saville, Marshall, Kelly, Smyth, Lyons, Reid, Magennis, Brown.
Referee Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
Czech Republic Kovar; Holes, Hranac, Krejci; Coufal, Provod, Darida, Jurasek; Schick, Chory; Sulc
Substitutes Hornicek, Jedlicka, Chaloupek, Vitik, Karabec, Kliment, Cerv, Chytil, Sadilek, Zeleny, Visinsky, Soucek
Republic of Ireland Kelleher; O’Brien, Collins, O’Shea; Coleman, Taylor, Molumby, Manning; Azaz; Ogbene, Parrott.
Substitutes Keeley, Travers, Kenny, Idah, Brady, Dunne, Vale, Egan, Knight, Browne, Abankwah, Szmodics.
Referee Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
Wales Darlow; Williams, Lawlor, Rodon, Dasilva; Ampadu, Jordan James; Brooks, Wilson, Daniel James; Johnson.
Substitutes Ward, King, Koumas, Cullen, Cabango, Norrington-Davies, Kpakio, J Colwill, Harris, Thomas, Sheehan, Broadhead.
Bosnia-Herzegovina Vasilj; Muharemovic, Katic, Kolasinac; Memic, Tahirovic, Bajraktarevic, Sunjic, Dedic; Dzeko, Demirovic.
Substitutes Hadzikic, Zlomislic, Mujakic, Celik, Gigovic, Bazdar, Basic, Hadziahmetovic, Burnic, Alajbegovic, Radeljic, Tabakovic.
Referee Istvan Kovacs (Romania)
06:40pm
Republic of Ireland team sheet
STARTING XI | Czechia v Ireland
Ryan Manning & Jack Taylor the only two changes from the side that beat Hungary in November
Kick-off in 90 minutes, with a packed away end supporting us. Let's hear you pic.twitter.com/5A4Ie6rwOa
— Ireland Football
06:39pm
Italy’s side to take on Northern Ireland
Gli#Azzurri scelti dal Ct Gennaro Gattuso!
Italia Irlanda Del Nord
Ore 20.45
️ Stadio di Bergamo
#RaiUno#ItaliaIrlandaDelNord#Nazionale#VivoAzzurropic.twitter.com/6gKQwCcN25
— Nazionale Italiana️
06:37pm
Bosnia’s starting XI
06:36pm
Wales team news
06:35pm
Betting on tonight’s game?
Advertisement | GambleAware | 18+ Betting on the football tonight? Take a look at these tips and offers chosen by Telegraph Media Group for the Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland games.
06:29pm
Preview: Eyes on the ultimate prize
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the first round of Uefa qualifying play-offs for the 2026 World Cup, focusing primarily on Wales vs Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy vs Northern Ireland and Czech Republic vs Republic of Ireland. These are straight knock-out matches, no second legs as in the past, and the winners in Cardiff will take on the winners in Bergamo next week for a place in the finals while the victors in Prague will play either Denmark or North Macedonia who meet tonight in Copenhagen.
Northern Ireland have the steepest hill to climb. Italy have been rubbish at qualifying for World Cups recently, missing the last two despite those two embarrassments sandwiching victory at Euro 2020, and yet they did win six of their group games, finishing six points behind Norway who beat them twice. Norn Iron, by contrast, were third in their group behind Germany and Slovakia and salvaged a play-off place with a 1-0 victory over Luxembourg. Their sole victory over the Azzurri in 11 matches came in the weeks following the 1958 World Cup and without their two best defenders/players, Conor Bradley and Dan Ballard, one fears for them against Signori Donnarumma, Bastoni, De Marco, Locatelli, Barella, Tonali, Kean, Politano et al.
Wales’ 7-1 victory over North Macedonia to clinch this play-off spot should stand them in good stead against Bosnia. Like the Italians, Wales lost only twice in qualification, defeated by Belgium to whom they seem joined at the hip, home and away. Bosnia were also runners-up in their group, losing out on automatic qualification because of a 2-1 defat by Austria in Zenica. Edin Dzecko remains their spearhead and talisman at the age of 40 and he has found a new lease of form in front of goal after being released by Fiorentina in January, banging in six goals in eight games for Schalke who are top of Bundesliga B. Wales qualified for the 2022 World cup via this route and both sides were knocked out in the play-offs for Euro 2024,Craig Bellamy’s men on penalties.
As for the Republic of Ireland who made it this far by the skin of their teeth by virtue of Troy Parrott’s 96th-minute goal to complete his hat-trick in Budapest, they have two victories in eight matches against the Czech Republic. Their opponents tonight were second in their group after defeats by a rampant Croatia side and, rather less honourably, the Faroe Islands whose improvement is one of the great untold stories of international football but even so… Heimir Hallgrimsson, Ireland’s head coach and mastermind behind Iceland’s rise and their imperishable defeat of England at Euro 2016, has lost Evan Ferguson to injury and Liam Scales to suspension but has the aforementioned Parrot who, we will ne reminded constantly tonight, “is on fire” plus some rock solid Premier League defensive talent as they take on Tomas Soucek, Patrick Schik and co.
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