Wales Coach Reflects on Young Talent After Canada Defeat
“We can see the gulf; we knew that was going to be the case. But if we don’t do it, when are we going to do it?”
This was the response of Wales head coach Craig Bellamy when asked about the insights he gained from his team's 1-0 friendly loss to Canada.
During the September international camp, Bellamy handed international debuts to Dylan Lawlor, Ronan Kpakio, Joel Colwill, and Kai Andrews. While Cardiff City center-back Lawlor performed admirably in the 1-0 World Cup qualifying win against Kazakhstan, the other debutants faced more challenges against Jesse Marsch’s dynamic Canadian side.
“I learned that some of our senior players were outstanding. Some of the young boys, we have to expose them,” Bellamy added.
At just 18 years of age, Kpakio's future in football looks bright, having shown considerable promise early in Brian Barry-Murphy’s tenure at Cardiff City, despite only making 14 senior appearances thus far.
However, former Wales international Nia Jones expressed concerns about the immediate prospects of the young right-back and others following the defeat to Canada. Speaking on BBC Match of the Day Wales, she stated, “I am a little bit worried that some of the players in this camp might have played their way out of Craig Bellamy’s plans. I worry for the likes of Ronan Kpakio; I thought he really struggled. I am not saying he isn’t one for the future, he’s only 18 and he is a really promising talent, but I think he was exposed a little bit tonight.”
These sentiments were echoed by former Wales international Kath Morgan, who, during an interview on BBC Radio Cymru's Dros Frecwast, suggested that some of Wales' newer players might benefit from more time developing with the under-21s.
Former center-back Ashley Williams, who earned 86 caps for Wales, defended Kpakio, asserting that his debut should not undermine his confidence. “It was a tough night for him, but he did some good things as well. Don’t let it knock your confidence,” Williams remarked. “I think a lot of people would have struggled if they’d made their debut today—Canada were a tough opponent.”
Notably, several regulars were absent from this international camp, including Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Nathan Broadhead, Kieffer Moore, Danny Ward, Aaron Ramsey, Connor Roberts, and Jay Dasilva, which allowed younger players the opportunity to showcase their talents.
In the lead-up to the match, Bellamy acknowledged Canada’s quality, as they are ranked 28th in the world by FIFA, three spots above Wales, emphasizing his desire for the squad to face rigorous challenges.
In light of this, David Brooks offered a balanced view of the new caps, stating, “We’ve got a very good team that are mainly playing in the qualifiers, and then we’ve got a lot of young talent that was on show [against Canada] that I thought did really well. A few debuts as well, which they should all be proud of. I think they gave a good account of themselves.”
As has often been the case with Wales, the current squad depth is lacking. Bellamy confessed he might need divine intervention ahead of the upcoming friendly against England at Wembley and the World Cup qualifier against Belgium at Cardiff City Stadium four days later. “Honestly, what will I do now? Sit, watch games, pray, and light a candle every time one of our players is playing, hoping we don’t pick up any more injuries than we had in this camp,” he said. “To play against the top teams, we need our best players.”
However, the long-term perspective is also crucial, as former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw noted. “What [Bellamy] did was throw in some of the young players and say, ‘Listen, this is going to be as big a challenge as you get, we’re going to throw it at you, and this is going to help you for later on,’” Earnshaw explained on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast. The matches against Canada and Kazakhstan offered Bellamy a chance to introduce players to senior international football, yet they also highlighted the ongoing need for Wales to build the depth necessary to cope with injuries.