Craig Bellamy Shows Calm Leadership in Wales' World Cup Qualifier Victory
Wales captain Ben Davies has revealed a surprising side to head coach Craig Bellamy, describing him as "Mr Calm" during their challenging World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan. Despite a difficult first half, Wales secured a 3-1 victory in Cardiff on Saturday to kick off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Bellamy, who had a reputation as a fiery character during his playing days with Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Manchester City, has shown a more measured approach since taking the Wales managerial position last year. This evolution in temperament was evident during the halftime break when Wales struggled against Kazakhstan, a team ranked 110th in the world.
"The players were the ones that were the most frustrated at half-time, whereas Bellamy came in Mr Calm," Davies told Match of the Day Wales. "He came in with a plan, was clear in the messaging he gave us and what he expected in the second half, he simply asked for more energy and keep doing what we're doing."
Davies, who scored Wales' crucial second goal, acknowledged the challenges they faced against a determined Kazakhstan side. "They made it really difficult for us, they were compact. You could see in the first half we forced a lot of balls when we didn't really need to," he explained. "In the second half we were much more disciplined and we got the job done, which is the most important thing."
The Wales captain emphasized how his goal came at a perfect moment to break the tension of a 1-1 deadlock. He also reflected on the challenges of entering matches as favorites: "We've all been in games like that where you go into it as favourites, you have a lot of expectations to walk all over a team, but you know it's never the case. They're a proud nation that's out on the pitch trying to win a game just like us."
Looking ahead, Wales faces North Macedonia on Tuesday, March 25, at the National Arena Todor Proeski in Skopje. North Macedonia enters the match with momentum after a 3-0 win over Liechtenstein and six consecutive victories overall. Wales will need a significantly improved performance to secure all three points and strengthen their position in Group J.
Bellamy appears to embrace the upcoming challenge with confidence. "They're a good team," he said of North Macedonia. "We have to be at our best. Do I have sleepless nights over it? No. There's more important things."
The Wales manager expressed enthusiasm about preparing his team for different international challenges: "I like the challenge of being able to prepare a team to go to somewhere like North Macedonia. I would like the opportunity to prepare a team to go to Brazil. I want to improve and I want the players to improve."
With a philosophical outlook, Bellamy added, "I don't look at everything like living with a knife between my teeth. It's the challenge you have to embrace and be excited about. North Macedonia leaves a lot to be excited about."
In Group J, Belgium are the top seeds, with Wales second and North Macedonia third. Only the group winners will qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup, while runners-up enter the play-offs. Wales have already virtually guaranteed themselves a play-off place by winning their Nations League group but could significantly boost their hopes for automatic qualification with a win against North Macedonia.
The match will be broadcast on BBC One Wales, iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app, and S4C via iPlayer, with live radio coverage on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
