Wales handed tough group as they find out European Championship 2020 qualification fate
Cardiff, Wales. 15th November, 2018. Wales manager Ryan Giggs trains at the Cardiff City Stadium ahead of their upcoming international matches against Denmark & Albania. Lewis Mitchell/YCPD.
Ryan Giggs will be tasked of making Wales qualify in a five-team qualification group for the Euro 2020 Championship qualifiers.
After the draw was done in Dublin today, Wales will play Azerbaijan, Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia from March 2019 to November 2019.
Croatia reached the World Cup finals earlier this year but finished bottom of their UEFA Nations League group with England and Spain. Croatia were in Wales’ 2014 World Cup qualifying group where the Croats finished
Wales played Slovakia in the European Championships in 2016, where Hal Robson-Kanu netted a late winner, following Ondrej Duda cancelling out Gareth Bale’s opener.
The Red Dragons haven’t played Hungary in a competitive fixture in 43-years. The last fixture being a 2-0 victory at the Millennium Stadium as Craig Bellamy netted twice in John Toshack’s first game for Wales.
Bottom seed Azerbaijan have yet to beat Wales in any fixtures. Wales have won five of the six fixtures played between the two sides. The last time Wales played Azerbaijan was in FIFA World Cup Qualifying for the 2010 World Cup when David Edwards scored the winner.
Wales will have to play friendlies in between fixtures due to being drawn in a five-team group. The Football Association of Wales will now delegate with the other countries in Group E to decide the fixtures later this afternoon.
(Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell)
