News Focus
- Wales travel to Bucharest for a friendly clash with Romania on Saturday evening (18:45 BST)
- Manager Craig Bellamy faces Gheorghe Hagi, the star who broke Welsh hearts during 1994 World Cup qualifying
- The Dragons have not won an away friendly for 16 years, with their last victory coming in 2008
- Defenders Ben Davies and Connor Roberts return to the squad after lengthy injury lay-offs
- Wales use this match to prepare for their upcoming Nations League A campaign against Portugal, Denmark and Norway
Craig Bellamy still remembers the pain. At age 14, he watched Romania crush Wales’ dreams of reaching the 1994 World Cup. Now, more than 30 years later, the Wales manager has a chance for payback against the same man who caused that childhood heartbreak.
Gheorghe Hagi, who netted three times against Wales during those 1994 qualifiers, returns to the dugout as Romania boss. The legendary playmaker will lead the Tricolorii in Bucharest for the first time during his second spell in charge.
“Hagi left a massive mark on our country,” Bellamy explained. “I first saw him around 1992 or 1993. They beat us 5-1 here in Bucharest. I watched from home. He was an incredible talent. Then they came to Cardiff and he scored again. They broke our hearts. We watched them go to the World Cup while we stayed home.”
The Welsh camp arrives in Romania desperate to fix their poor record in summer fixtures. Bellamy’s side drew 1-1 with Ghana in Cardiff earlier this week. However, their problems extend to away friendly matches. The Red Dragons have failed to win any of their last 16 friendly matches on foreign soil. Their last success came back in November 2008, when Bellamy himself scored the winner against Denmark in Brondby.
“Our friendly record does not look good,” the boss admitted. “We have not won away since 2008. We must do better. If we want to raise expectations and demand more from ourselves, we need stronger results.”
This fixture offers one final test before Wales begin their Nations League A group against Portugal, Denmark and Norway later this year. Captain Ethan Ampadu says the team must use this match to build confidence.
“Our focus this June has been to raise our levels,” the Leeds United midfielder stated. “We want better performances. We must learn from past errors and correct them. We need momentum before the important matches ahead.”
Bellamy confirmed that Cardiff City centre-back Dylan Lawlor will miss the trip. The defender suffered a knee injury during the Ghana match and could not recover in time. However, the Wales boss received better news regarding his full-backs. Ben Davies returns after an ankle injury kept him out since January. Connor Roberts is also available following an Achilles problem that ruined his entire 2025-26 season with Burnley.