Wales qualifies for World Cup final after 64-year wait

Cardiff /SANA – Wales has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 64 years after beating Ukraine in a play-off for this year’s finals in Qatar.

Wales beat Ukraine 1-0 in Cardiff after captain Gareth Bale’s free-kick was deflected into the visiting goal by Ukraine skipper Andriy Yarmolenko.It will play in Group B with England and Iran at November’s World Cup.

The Welsh men’s team have not played at football’s World Cup finals since 1958 – the longest drought of any team in Europe. Only Cuba and Indonesia – who played at the 1938 finals in France – have gone longer than Wales without qualifying for another World Cup final.

Ukraine had a goal disallowed in the first-half at the Cardiff City Stadium when Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko was ruled to have taken his free-kick too quickly. But Wales held on in front of a sell-out crowd after a game where both sides missed chances.

Skipper Bale has said their win over Ukraine is the “greatest result in history of Welsh football” and that sentiment was echoed by fan Clive Frances who hailed Wales’ “amazing” achievement.

English Bulletin / Amer Dawa