Wales Faces Challenging Euro 2024 Qualifying Battle, Says Ben Davies

A Resurgence with Their Backs Against the Wall

Captain Ben Davies believes that Wales has found themselves in a precarious situation as they strive to secure qualification for Euro 2024. After a slow start to their campaign, Wales now must triumph over Armenia and Turkey to ensure automatic qualification.

In an impassioned speech following their inspiring victory of Croatia, Tottenham defender Davies emphasized the importance of maintaining intensity and focus in their remaining two matches. He expressed unwavering belief in his team’s ability to achieve results against any opponent:

“We never stopped believing,” he said. “The mindset we’ve got is we can get a result against anyone. We’ve shown that.”

Davies’ stirring address echoed throughout the squad, symbolizing their resilience amidst doubt and adversity:

“It was backs against the wall stuff, it was showing that people doubted us again but we’re still standing,” Davies remarked. “We’re standing up against the challenges and here we are with two games to go, still in the fight.”

The Powerful Impact of Words

Amongst all the memorable moments from Wales’ triumph over Croatia, one image stood out – Ben Davies delivering an animated speech during a post-match huddle. Known for his calm demeanor, this unexpected burst of passion captured attention.

Davies drew inspiration from Dafydd Iwan’s iconic protest song ‘Yma o Hyd,’ which translates as ‘Still Here.’ This Welsh anthem depicts the nation’s enduring spirit and serves as a rallying cry for Welsh football.

Reflecting on his role in motivating the team, Davies shared: “I’m more than happy to be the vocal one in this group. That was just in the heat of the moment. We were one team.”

Navigating Turmoil with Unity

Emotions ran high within Wales’ squad during and after their enthralling victory over Croatia. The players rallied around manager Robert Page when Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney raised questions about Page’s position.

Davies, alongside Harry Wilson who scored both goals against Croatia, publicly supported Page and criticized Mooney’s comments as unhelpful:

“We’ve got a good group here,” Davies affirmed. “We know what’s expected of us and we’re not looking too far ahead.”

An Eye on Qualification

If Wales fails to secure victories against Armenia and Turkey, their automatic qualification hopes for Euro 2024 will rest upon other results. If they fall outside of Group D’s top two positions, they must rely on the play-offs scheduled for March next year to secure their place at Germany.

Wales aims to avoid such uncertainty by keeping control over its destiny. Drawing parallels with their successful journey to Euro 2020 qualification, where they rebounded after back-to-back defeats before triumphing in crucial matches, provides encouragement for this campaign.