Wales have qualified for Euro 2016 despite going down 2-0 in Bosnia-Herzegovina tonight.
Chris Coleman’s side suffered their first defeat of the campaign as this Milan Djuric header and Vedad Ibisevic’s late goal earned the Bosnians a win which keeps alive their own hopes of reaching France.
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But the Welsh’s form over the last 18 months, combined with Israel’s 2-1 loss at home to Cyprus this evening, mean that they are already guaranteed a top-two spot and a place at next summer’s Finals.
It is the first time that the Red Dragons have qualified for a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup, and they may yet finish top of Group B should they beat Andorra and Belgium lose to Israel.
Wales had won five of their previous eight competitive matches, but had few clear-cut chances as Aaron Ramsey sent a difficult back-post volley over and Gareth Bale screwed a shot wide from 15 yards.
For the most part, the contest seemed destined to finish goalless, but Duric broke a 71-minute deadlock by looping a header over goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and Ibisevic added a tap-in on 89 minutes.
This defeat will only slightly subdue Wales’s celebrations after qualifying for their first ever European Championships and, should Bale keep fit, they might just make an impression in France.
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