Ben Davies praised Craig Bellamy for being “Mr Calm” at half-time as Kazakhstan threatened to derail Wales’ World Cup adventure at the very first stop.
Wales owed their 3-1 victory in Cardiff to second-half goals from captain Davies and Rabbi Matondo after Daniel James’ early effort had been cancelled out by Askhat Tagybergen’s penalty.
“The players were the ones that were the most frustrated at half-time, whereas Bellamy came in Mr Calm,” Davies told BBC Wales.
“He came in with a plan, was clear in the messaging he gave us and what he expected in the second half.
“He simply asked for more energy and keep doing what we were doing.”
Wales are now unbeaten in seven games since Bellamy took charge last summer.
They topped their Nations League group in the autumn, winning promotion to join the top European nations, and now head to North Macedonia on Tuesday with their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup up and running.
Bellamy said: “We need to be patient with the ball and supporters need to be patient as well.
7 games. 0 defeats. Ein rheolwr. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/rmFEcRvybj
— Wales 🏴 (@Cymru) March 22, 2025
“I still hear the shouts, ‘get it forward, get it there.’ I know, but I’m not hitting up ‘there’ when we have the numbers ‘here’. I much prefer our players being on the ball than not.
“For me it’s something different to maybe what’s been asked of Wales before.
“I’m not here to see this is right and that was wrong. But how I look at the game, it was going to be a test for them.”
North Macedonia began their World Cup campaign on Saturday with a 3-0 victory in Liechtenstein.
“They’re a good team,” Bellamy said of the upcoming challenge in Skopje. “We have to be at our best.

“I like the challenge of being able to prepare a team to go to somewhere like North Macedonia.
“You have to embrace that and be excited about it.
“We’ve done a lot of work on them, so we’ll see where they’re at.
“It’s going to be a difficult game, we’ll need a different type of profile, a different type of energy for that game.”
Group favourites Belgium, currently involved in the Nations League play-offs, begin World Cup action in June.

Wales had to wait until the final minute before victory was sealed by Rabbi Matondo’s first international goal.
The Cardiff-raised winger, currently on loan at German club Hannover from Rangers, swept home Sorba Thomas’ cross to delight his home crowd.
Bellamy said: “I’ve known Rabbi since he was very young. It’s been so good having him in the group.
“He’s such a character he’s so funny, the players and staff love him, you can’t help but love him.”
Leyton Orient remain on course for the Sky Bet League One play-offs after a 1-0 win which dented Wycombe’s hopes of automatic promotion.Randell Williams scored the only goal of the game and Orient’s victory, their fifth in succession, leaves them ahead of seventh-placed Reading on goal difference.Defeat for the Chairboys, though, has handed the initiative to Wrexham, who could seal the...

Doncaster clinched promotion to League One after goals from Rob Street and Billy Sharp secured a 2-1 win over 10-man Yorkshire rivals Bradford.In an incident-packed encounter in front of over 12,500 fans – the Eco-Power Stadium’s biggest crowd of the season – Doncaster hit the post through Jordan Gibson before on-loan Lincoln striker Street gave Rovers a 33rd-minute lead with his...

Reading’s hunt for a Sky Bet League One play-off spot will go to the final day of the season after the Royals beat Bristol Rovers 2-0 at the Memorial Stadium.Lewis Wing’s eighth league goal of the season after 67 minutes and Chem Campbell’s added-time effort leaves the Pirates staring at relegation after Noel Hunt’s side had to survive a first-half onslaught from the hosts....

Jamie Andrews struck a late equaliser as Woking twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Eastleigh in the National League.Tyrese Shade put the visitors in front after 14 minutes, played in on goal by Ben Close before finding the bottom corner of the net.Woking then drew level three minutes before the break when Aiden O’Brien headed in from Jacob Jones’ free-kick.Shade had Eastleigh back...

Port Vale secured automatic promotion to League One after beating AFC Wimbledon 2-0 at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.Second-half goals by Jayden Stockley and Jaheim Hedley ensured Vale would finish in the top three and also made a dent in the home side’s push for the play-offs.Vale created the first real attempt of the game which saw Lorent Tolaj fire over from 12 yards out following a cros...

Zian Flemming and Jeremy Sarmiento both scored twice as Burnley emphatically maintained their Championship title hopes by hammering QPR 5-0 in their penultimate match of the season.Josh Cullen also netted in a one-sided game as the Clarets, already promoted along with Leeds, won with ease to move to the top of the table, three points ahead of the Yorkshire side.However, Leeds, who are at home to B...

Nicolas Jackson ended his long goal drought to fire Chelsea a step nearer to the Champions League with a 1-0 win against Everton at Stamford Bridge.A dominant display was capped by the winning goal scored midway through the first half, the striker’s first since December 15 finished confidently from 20 yards past Jordan Pickford as though he had been scoring every week, as suspended head coac...

Celtic clinched the William Hill Premiership title in style with a 5-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice.Nicolas Kuhn and substitute Adam Idah both hit doubles after Ryan Strain’s 30th-minute own-goal kicked off the rout.Celtic had only needed a point but they wrapped up their fourth consecutive championship in similar fashion to last year, when a 5-0 win at Kilmarnock earned Brendan R...

Chris Wilder labelled his side’s 2-0 win over Stoke a “proper away performance” as they got back to winning ways.The Blades had seen their automatic promotion hopes ended after losing four of their previous five, including their last three matches away from Bramall Lane.An improved showing saw Sam McCallum, making just his eighth start of the campaign, score late in the first hal...

Goals from Sam McCallum and Andre Brooks ensured Sheffield United returned to winning ways with by beating Stoke 2-0.The Blades had seen their automatic promotion hopes ended after losing four of their previous five, including their last three matches away from Bramall Lane.McCallum had scored just one goal since his summer move from Norwich but popped up at the back post when Rhian Brewster&rsquo...



- 1 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 2 Cole Palmer’s girlfriend Connie Grace dazzles in low-cut top and mini skirt
- 3 Man Utd & Man City join PSG in race for Akliouche
- 4 We always have a chance – Miron Muslic bullish as Plymouth boost survival hopes
- 5 Tottenham to compete with Man City for defender
- 6 Ten-man Falkirk beaten by Raith as late goals keep title race alive
- 7 Big Brother legend Chanelle Hayes flaunts weight loss in red bikini
- 8 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 9 Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola fumes over point claimed at 10-man Crystal Palace
- 10 Daily Laugh - Totttenham 1-2 N Forest