Izuchukwu OkosiReflecting on a collection of near misses and ignominious lows, even the most optimistic Welsh football fan must have wondered if their team was hexed in major qualification campaigns. Under the charge of Chris Coleman and now Robert Page, however, fear and pessimism have given way to confidence and optimism.
Emboldened by their participation in successive UEFA EUROs, Page’s team performed admirably from gun to tape in qualification for Qatar 2022, ending their 64-year FIFA World Cup™ exile with a nerveless 1-0 play-off win over Ukraine in Cardiff.
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And with that Gareth Bale-inspired victory, the demons of Scotland in 1977 and 1985, Gheorghe Hagi in 1993 and the nadir of Novi Sad a decade ago were banished.
Wales were in a promising position in their attempt to qualify for Argentina 1978 when the national FA chose to stage a high-stakes match with Scotland at Anfield in pursuit of increased gate receipts.
The Scots, roared on by an enormous Tartan Army presence, were awarded a generous late penalty and ultimately won 2-0 to extinguish Welsh hopes.
Wales appeared set to avenge that defeat eight years later when they led Scotland 1-0 at Cardiff City’s Ninian Park. Another marginal penalty call undid manager Mike England’s team, however, and Davie Cooper’s strike for the visitors saw Wales slip from top spot in their group and automatic qualification to a berth outside the play-offs.
There was another hard-luck story when only a home victory over Romania stood in the way of Wales and a place at USA 1994.
Wales were undefeated in 10 home matches and boss Terry Yorath could select a handful of world-class performers in Neville Southall, Ryan Giggs and Ian Rush.
A rare Southall slip allowed a Hagi pot-shot to squirm into the net. But Wales equalised through Dean Saunders and were poised to complete the turnaround when Gary Speed was fouled in the box.
Left-back Paul Bodin had scored his three previous penalties for Wales but smacked this effort against the bar. Romania duly retook the lead and the Welsh World Cup wait continued.
Subsequent campaigns featured any number of lows, the nadir a 6-1 thumping by Serbia in Novi Sad at the outset of qualifying for Brazil 2014, shortly after Coleman replaced the late Speed as boss.
Coleman steadily repaired confidence, harnessing the creative talents of Bale and Aaron Ramsey to oversee progression to the EURO 2016 semi-finals. Still, World Cup qualification remained elusive, Wales stunned 1-0 at home by Republic of Ireland to miss out on a shot at the play-offs for Russia 2018.
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But there would be no stopping Page’s redoubtable team four years later. Wales took points from Belgium and Czech Republic to secure a play-off berth. A double from Bale eased Wales past Austria in the semi-final, before the same player’s deflected free-kick saw off Ukraine to send Wales to a first World Cup since 1958, when a Pele goal undid them in the quarter-finals.
Page’s approach and tactics
The erudite Page insists his relative success with a Wales team that marries Championship footballers with A-list stars stems from “trying to be a good bloke”. “Do that, be respectful and you will get the best out of the players,” said Page.
Page, a former centre-half with Watford and Sheffield United, was capped 41 times by Wales. He was appointed manager of his country’s U-21 team in March 2017 following spells in charge of Port Vale and Northampton Town.
Additionally overseeing Wales’ U-17 and U-19 sides, Page forged strong relationships with players he will count on in Qatar such as Joe Rodon, the Tottenham defender on loan at Rennes, Portsmouth midfielder Joe Morrell and Fulham’s on-loan speedster Daniel James.
Replacing Ryan Giggs, initially on an interim basis, in November 2020, Page made a strong early impression. He employed three central defenders and wing-backs to earn a crucial World Cup qualifying victory over Czech Republic.
Installed for the EURO last year, Page demonstrated tactical versatility, using a conventional back four and two holding midfielders – unchaining James, Bale and Ramsey to support Kieffer Moore – to progress through the group stage. A last-16 thumping by Denmark was chastening. But Page deployed his man-management skills to cajole a series of thrusting World Cup qualification performances from his side.
Wales’ form of late has stuttered and they finished bottom of their four-team Nations League group. Page, however, has instilled in his group of players a knack for delivering their best when the biggest prizes are on the line. Reverting to a three-man backline and ceding possession, Wales used the pace of Bale and James to counter-punch their way to victories over Austria and Cardiff to book their spot in Qatar in November.
Player: Gareth Bale
Even in his 34th year, Bale remains the talismanic figure in this Wales team. Take him out of Page’s side and you are left with a serviceable XI that could hold its own against most opponents but is perhaps short on match-winners.
Bale elevates Wales. He provides an X-factor; a fear factor, too. The player’s club appearances have long been sporadic and he is currently lightly used by Los Angeles FC following a summer transfer from Real Madrid. But acquiring intermittent gametime Stateside in the run up to Qatar 2022 could prove a masterstroke for the attacker.
While a host of players destined for key roles at Qatar 2022 contest rounds of ultra-competitive domestic and European fixtures, Bale already has more than half an eye on his national team assignment next month.
If you want to see what playing – and succeeding – for Wales means to him, go back and watch Bale’s celebrations after his double overcame Andorra at the beginning of qualification for EURO 2016. He has 39 international goals from 108 appearances and time and again summons the decisive contribution for his country.
Moreover, the sight of a hale and hearty Bale on the field must instil enormous confidence in his 10 colleagues. Page would probably love to wrap Bale in cotton wool right now, keep this five-times Champions League winner fit and firing and Wales will like their prospects of emerging from Group B.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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