Wales opened their World Cup marketing campaign with a 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan.
Daniel James gave Wales an early benefit earlier than a near-capacity 32,473 crowd on the Cardiff Metropolis Stadium however that was worn out by Askhat Tagybergen’s penalty, awarded after Connor Roberts had dealt with.
Kazakhstan had been threatening to throw a spanner within the works however skipper Ben Davies and Rabbi Matondo, together with his first Wales objective within the ultimate minute, ensured a profitable begin for Craig Bellamy’s aspect.
It was solely then at Welsh followers may breathe simply, however Bellamy shall be delighted to financial institution three factors earlier than a more durable project in North Macedonia on Tuesday.
For the first-ever males’s assembly between the 2 nations, Bellamy made 4 adjustments from their earlier fixture in November – a 4-1 win in opposition to Iceland that took his unbeaten begin to a record-extending six video games.
Karl Darlow received the nod over Danny Ward in objective and Roberts, Sorba Thomas and David Brooks additionally returned to the beginning line-up after Wales had topped their Nations League group.
Kazakhstan, at a hundred and tenth within the FIFA standings, arrived a whopping 81 locations beneath Wales however with a proud document in opposition to British groups having overwhelmed Scotland in 2019 and Northern Eire twice in Euro 2024 qualifying.
Wales began slowly with a number of misplaced passes and poor touches earlier than taking a ninth-minute lead.
A nook routine broke down however swift urgent from Liam Cullen and Davies noticed the ball break to James, and his shot deflected off Aleksandr Marochkin to wrongfoot Alexandr Zarutskiy within the guests’ objective.
It was James’ eighth worldwide objective and the Leeds winger was the primary supply of Welsh attacking hazard as occasions unfolded.
James went down underneath a Nuraly Alip problem when howls for a penalty had been ignored, however Lithuanian referee Donatas Rumsas would quickly be pointing to the spot.
Islam Chesnokov’s Thirty second-minute cross struck Roberts from shut proximity, however the full-back’s arm was away from his physique and there was at all times more likely to one end result regardless of a prolonged VAR verify.
Tagybergen’s kick trickled over the road in sluggish movement after putting Darlow, Kazakhstan’s first objective in seven aggressive matches stretching again to November 2023.
Roberts was central to the following speaking level after being felled by Maxim Samorodov, with the full-back caught on the again of the calf.
Rumsas was despatched to the pitchside monitor for an additional VAR verify and after inspection determined {that a} yellow card, and never purple, was sufficient punishment for Samorodov.
Two minutes after the re-start Thomas gained a nook that he drilled to the far submit, and met by Davies with a bullet header for under his third objective in 93 appearances.
Cullen fired over after good work by Brooks and substitute Jordan James was denied by Zarutskiy’s sprawling save as Wales ramped up the strain.
However Wales needed to wait till the ninetieth minute for nerves to be calmed utterly.
Jordan James sprayed a scrumptious cross to Thomas and his trickery allowed him to ship a cross that Matondo gleefully dispatched.
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