Cremers looks to Cardiff crowd

WALES avoided slipping on a Liechtenstein banana skin with assistant manager Piet Cremers admitting their sole objective was a World Cup qualifying win to set up a massive showdown against North Macedonia.

- By PHIL BLANCHE

Wales must win at the Cardiff City Stadium to finish above North Macedonia and claim a home semifinal tie in the playoffs in March.

If they do not, Wales will be placed in the fourth pot and face a top seed - possibly Italy, Poland, Turkey or Ukraine - away in the playoff semifinals.

"We knew we had to take care of today," said Cremers, who was standing in for Craig Bellamy with the Wales boss unable to speak to the media because of his one-match touchline ban.