Write off Northern Ireland at your peril, warns Bellamy

DON'T write off Northern Ireland is the clear message from Wales head coach Craig Bellamy ahead of the World Cup playoffs.

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The teams could meet in a playoff final in Cardiff in March, but only if Wales win their semifinal at home to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Northern Ireland progress from theirs with an against-the-odds victory in Italy.

The prize on offer for the playoff final winners will be a place at next summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, in Group B alongside Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.

Four-time World Cup champions Italy are the firm favourites but, having missed out on the previous two editions of the competition in Qatar and Russia, the Azzurri will be under severe pressure to qualify this time.

"Everyone thinks it'll be Italy we'll have to play if we beat Bosnia, but if there's one team that's happy not to have the ball it's them [Northern Ireland]," Bellamy told BBC Wales Sport.