Cymru South: What is the Regions Cup as Wales stand on the cusp of the finals?

A Cymru South XI are just 90 minutes away from reaching the finals of a UEFA tournament, but what exactly is the UEFA Regions Cup?

Tîm Rhanbarthol y De Cymru have made a flying start to their UEFA Regions Cup campaign and now find themselves just one match away from securing a place in next summer’s finals.

Having won both of their opening group matches, the Cymru South representatives know that avoiding defeat against Zenica-Doboj of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be enough to see them finish top of the group and book their place in the final tournament.

It would be a remarkable achievement for a group of players competing in the Cymru South, with the prospect of facing some of Europe’s best regional amateur sides on the biggest stage of the competition.

How have Cymru South reached this stage?

Firstly, the Cymru South secured a 6-1 aggregate victory over a North Wales representative team in May to book their place in the next stage of the competition, setting up their trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Tîm Rhanbarthol y De Cymru currently sit top of their group on goal difference following two emphatic victories.

They opened their campaign with a 7-0 victory over Bitola, before producing another dominant display on Saturday to beat Cilicia 6-0.

Against Bitola, Jack Jones and Ethan Edwards put Cymru South 2-0 ahead inside 21 minutes before Casey Coughlin struck twice before half-time.

Clayton Farrah added a fifth in the 79th minute, before Coughlin completed a remarkable four-goal haul, adding two more late strikes to round off a dominant victory. Jones provided two assists, while Mason Kelly set up Coughlin’s final goal in stoppage time.

In their second game, Casey Coughlin opened the scoring after 13 minutes before Olly Redhead doubled the lead. Coughlin headed home again from a Jack Jones corner before Jones converted a penalty to make it 4-0.

Sam Cawley added a fifth on the counter-attack before Coughlin completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot three minutes later.

Zenica-Doboj also won their opening game, recording an 8-0 victory, but could only manage a 4-0 win over Bitola in their second match.

That leaves Cymru South ahead on goal difference heading into the final group game, with everything set up for a winner-takes-the-group clash.

What is the UEFA Regions Cup?

The UEFA Regions Cup is a tournament for Europe’s best amateur representative teams.

Unlike UEFA’s major club competitions, the tournament is not contested by professional clubs. Instead, players are selected to represent their regions, with the competition providing an opportunity for amateur footballers to test themselves against sides from across Europe.

For the players representing Cymru South, it is a rare chance to play international football and potentially reach a UEFA final tournament.

What next for Cymru South in the Regions Cup?

Tîm Rhanbarthol y De Cymru face Zenica-Doboj of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their final group match. The match is effectively a winner-takes-the-group encounter.

The game will be played at the FF BH Football Training Centre in Zenica, with kick-off scheduled for 10:00 GMT.

There have unfortunately been no live streams available for Cymru South’s matches during the tournament, meaning supporters will have to follow developments from Zenica as they happen on the UEFA website or the Cymru Football app.

How do players qualify?

The unique nature of the UEFA Regions Cup means the Cymru South squad is not simply an all-star selection of the best players available.

Players must never have signed a professional contract and must not have played a single minute in a top-flight league.

They must also be aged between 19 and 40, while nationality is not a requirement.

Players do not have to be Welsh to represent Cymru South, but they must have been registered with their region for at least two years.

The squad representing the Cymru South region in Bosnia and Herzegovina is:

Harry Johnson (Cardiff Draconians), Nat Osborne (Pontardawe Town), Kian Bodenham (Newport City), Clayton Farrah (Pontypridd United), Dan Ingram (Pure Swansea), Jack Turner (Caerau Ely), Adam Ward (Newport City), Thomas Gameson (Treowen Stars), Warren Jones (Penrhiwceiber Rangers), Kyran Steadman (Newport City), Olly Redhead (Ynysygerwn), Sam Cawley (Cardiff Draconians), Casey Coughlin (Pure Swansea), Josh Dorward (Pontardawe Town), Ethan Edwards (Pontypridd United), Jack Jones (Pontypridd United), Mason Kelly (Pure Swansea) and Kofi Rowe (Pontypridd United).

It is that group of 18 players who are now just 90 minutes away from potentially making history and reaching the UEFA Regions Cup finals.

Zenica-Doboj’s team consists of players from the fourth tier of Bosnian football.

If Wales win, what next?

Victory or a draw against Zenica-Doboj would see Cymru South qualify for the UEFA Regions Cup final tournament, which is scheduled to take place in spring 2027.

The hosts will be selected by UEFA from the eight teams that qualify.

Those eight sides will then be drawn into two groups of four, with the winners of each group progressing to the final.

For Cymru South, it would mean a place among the eight best regional amateur teams in Europe and the chance to compete for UEFA Regions Cup glory.