Wales Faces North Macedonia in Crucial World Cup Qualifier
World Cup Qualifier: Wales vs. North Macedonia
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Tuesday, November 18 Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
Coverage: Live on BBC iPlayer, BBC One Wales, BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, and Sports Extra, as well as the BBC Sport website and app, including live text commentary.
Ethan Ampadu expressed his disappointment after receiving a second yellow card during Wales' World Cup qualifying campaign, which will result in his suspension for the critical final group match against North Macedonia. Ampadu was cautioned in the 86th minute of Wales' 1-0 victory over Liechtenstein on Saturday, where he served as captain in the absence of Ben Davies and Aaron Ramsey.
The match was costly for Wales, as goalscorer Jordan James also received a yellow card shortly after scoring, leading to his suspension for the upcoming game against North Macedonia.
Wales must secure a win at Cardiff City Stadium to finish second in Group J and earn a home playoff semi-final in March. Ampadu stated, "I am very gutted. It's annoying because I don't think I touched the guy, and I won the ball. We needed the win, got the win. We had to be patient. We had a lot of the ball and a lot of chances. You'd like to score more goals, but we got the win."
Former Wales captain Ashley Williams sympathized with Ampadu, commenting, "I didn't think Ethan Ampadu's was a yellow. He has every right to go for the ball. His foot's high, so is the other player's foot, and [Ampadu] gets to the ball first. I don't even think it's a foul."
Head coach Craig Bellamy has noted that Wales lacks depth in central midfield, making the absence of both Ampadu and James a significant setback for the team. James remarked, "It's disappointing to get booked. You don't think about it on the pitch; they were on the counter-attack, and I had to stop it. I think we have enough in the squad to win it on Tuesday. I am disappointed, but I'll be supporting the lads from the sidelines."
Bellamy was unable to coach from the sidelines in Liechtenstein due to his own suspension after receiving a second yellow card for dissent in last month's defeat to Belgium. Assistant coach Piet Cremers led the team in his absence, stating, "We will adapt [without James and Ampadu]. We have a big group. They have all played before. It's going to be a hard game [against North Macedonia]. They have had some really good results. It's important we create some opportunities and stay patient."