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Ben Davies to be Honoured Ahead of Wales v Bosnia

Ben Davies of Wales. Pic. Alamy

Ben Davies of Wales. Pic. Alamy

Injured Wales captain Ben Davies will still manage to take centre stage in Cardiff on Thursday night as the nation marks his 100th international appearance.

The Tottenham Hotspur defender - currently out with a broken ankle - will be honoured ahead of the crunch World Cup play-offs semi-final against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Red Wall fans have been urged to take their seats early at the Cardiff City Stadium to honour the milestone, with Davies set to receive his golden cap in a pre-match ceremony.

The presentation will be made by Cliff Jones, a legend of Wales’ 1958 World Cup side—the nation’s first appearance on football’s biggest stage. 

Now 91, Jones remains the last surviving member of that squad and earned 59 caps for his country, scoring 16 goals and playing five times at the tournament.

Davies reached his century landmark in October during the World Cup qualifier against Belgium, and although he is currently sidelined through injury, he will still be present to mark the occasion.

READ MORE: Craig Bellamy Insists Full Throttle Wales Would Enhance World Cup

The defender’s international journey began against Scotland in 2012 and has since spanned two European Championships and a World Cup, underlining his importance to the national side over more than a decade.

Should Wales beat the Bosnians and then overcome Italy or Northern Ireland in Cardiff next Tuesday, then Davies will face a race to regain fitness ahead of the tournament finals in June.

There is also a symbolic link between Davies and Jones Both began their careers at Swansea City before going on to represent Spurs for the majority of their club careers.

The cap presentation will take place shortly after the teams walk out, setting the tone for a high-stakes evening as Craig Bellamy’s side look to move one step closer to World Cup qualification.

READ MORE: Craig Bellamy, Wales, and an Obsession with Detail That’s About to Face its Biggest Test

With a place in the play-off final on the line, the Football Association of Wales have called on the Red Wall to be in position early—both to recognise one of the country’s most consistent performers and to build the atmosphere ahead of kick-off.

Davies’ milestone adds an emotional edge to an already pivotal night, with Wales aiming to extend their World Cup journey—and honour one of their modern greats in the process.

Meanwhile, Bosnia-Herzegovina manager Sergej Barbarez has refused to apologise to Danish club Brondby's Welsh manager Steve Cooper for suggesting he benched midfielder Benjamin Tahirovic because of the play-off tie.

READ MORE: The Eagle Can Rise . . . Brennan Johnson Backed by Craig Bellamy to Give Wings to Wales’ World Cup Bid

Brondby defended their position, insisting the decision to leave Tahirovic out of their last two matches was made collectively by the coaching staff and management and had no connection with either national team.

Tahirovic later contacted Brondby manager ⁠Cooper to apologise for the controversy and Brondby sporting director Benjamin Schmedes also contacted Barbarez to clarify the club’s stance.

Despite that, Barbarez said he has nothing to apologise for and insisted his comments were made to shield his player.

“I don’t think I should apologise for anything,” he told reporters on Wednesday in Cardiff.

“The only important thing for me is that I trust my players and the idea of all this was to create a ⁠puzzle for you, so you can think about all these things.

“I had the idea to protect the player. That’s where all this talking was from.

Wales host Bosnia-Herzegovina for a place in a home playoff final against Italy or Northern Ireland ⁠and Barbarez urged that focus be brought back to the match.

“I’ve known Benjamin for the last two years and I know what a good player he is and ⁠how he can be.

“So I think we should concentrate on the match, which is the most important thing for both teams.”

Bosnia are attempting ⁠to qualify for the World Cup finals for the second time, having done so in 2014. Wales qualified for the tournament in Qatar in 2022.

 

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