Wales given play-off history lesson before Albania

Captain Angharad James has revealed Wales’ players have been given a play-off history lesson as they bid to take another step towards a first Women’s World Cup.

Wales take a 1-0 lead into their play-off semi-final second leg against Albania in Llanelli on Tuesday as they chase a place at next year’s tournament in Brazil.

James has experienced the joy of play-off success and the pain of losing out at this stage of qualifying.

And the 32-year-old says Wales have moved to ensure every member of a squad featuring numerous youngsters is “up to speed” on what is at stake.

“We had a players’ meeting on the first day just to integrate the group and to make sure everyone was aware of the importance of this camp and what it means to represent Wales and what it means to be in a play-off position.

“We have to give everything. It’s a final game for us and every game is.

“[The meeting was] just to make sure everyone’s up to speed.”

Wales have reached the play-off stages of qualification for a major tournament for only the third time in the history of the women’s national side.

Their first attempt, in qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, ended in agony.

Gemma Grainger’s team beat Bosnia-Herzgovina at the semi-final stage before – despite taking an early lead – losing out to a goal late in extra time of the final in Switzerland.

Two years later, it was an entirely different story as Wales overcame Slovakia and the Republic of Ireland to reach Euro 2025, the first women’s major tournament in the nation’s history.

Thanks in part to a lengthy injury list, James is one of only five players who began the decisive game in Dublin 22 months ago who are in contention to start against Albania.

The 146-cap Seattle Reign midfielder was also part of the side left heartbroken by that late defeat in Zurich in October 2022.

“[They were] two very different feelings after both games,” James said.

“The feeling that we had out in Switzerland, going so close in extra time and narrowly missing out, it fuelled us for Dublin.

“There’s a big group of us that experienced that and at the start of this camp we made sure the whole group was aware of how it feels to be on both ends of that.”

Gemma Evans’ smile reveals her missing tooth after Wales’ Euro 2025 play-off final win in 2024 [Getty Images]

Gemma Evans is another member of the current Wales squad who featured in those pivotal games against Switzerland and the Republic of Ireland.

The centre-back famously lost a tooth when making a challenge during the Aviva Stadium success – with pictures of that moment featuring in last week’s team meeting.

“The highs of that [included] Gemma losing a tooth and unfortunately it made it on to the big screen, we showed the girls that,” James said with a smile.

“We’ve had so many high moments with this group and hopefully we’ve got the biggest one yet to come with the World Cup.”

There is much work to do before Wales can begin planning for a World Cup debut.

After a scruffy performance in Shkoder last Friday, the first task is to get past an Albania side that Wales beat twice during the group phase of this qualifying campaign.

Should they manage that, Wilkinson’s team will face a play-off final in early December, probably against a Norway side who are ranked 14th in the world.

Wales would start as underdogs against the Norwegians, who play their second leg at home to Romania on Tuesday evening having won 2-0 away in the first leg.

Even if Wales were to come through a potential Norway final, they may then have to negotiate inter-confederation play-offs next February before a World Cup place is guaranteed.

James, who believes the qualification process should be simplified, says the focus for now is Albania, and on starting from scratch despite Wales’ lead from the first leg.

“If we overthink that we have a 1-0 advantage then I don’t think it’s a good thing as players,” she said.

“So we’re focusing on it being a new 90-minute game. It’s a clean sheet and we’re going out there to perform and to win again.”