Heading into the second half of their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, Wales remain firmly in contention to secure an all-important top two spot (there is also the Nations League backdoor route to fall on if required) to reach next year's showpiece in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
And while their unbeaten record came to an end in the 10th game under Craig Bellamy, Wales' 4-3 defeat to Belgium was arguably the most positive showing of the manager's year in charge so far.
Having gone 3-0 down in Brussels, the visitors produced a fightback for the ages to level the contest at 3-3 thanks to goals from Harry Wilson, Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson.
Despite Kevin De Bruyne's late winner for the Red Devils at the King Baudouin Stadium, Bellamy will have left the Belgian capital with even more evidence to back-up his view that Wales can reach successive World Cups for the first time in their history.
Up next sees Wales head to Astana to take on the side they beat 3-1 to kick-start their qualifying campaign.
That fixture at Cardiff City Stadium proved somewhat edgier than hoped, although Wales still produced a thoroughly professional display to dispatch Kazakhstan 3-1 in what was a dominant and controlled showing from the hosts.
Wales manager Craig Bellamy. Pic: Alamy
Unfortunately, they will be without Danny Ward, Ethan Ampadu, Connor Roberts, Nathan Broadhead, Joe Rodon, Aaron Ramsey and Jay Dasilva at the Astana Arena - although there are call-ups for uncapped duo Dylan Lawlor and Ronan Kpakio following their impressive starts to the Brian Barry-Murphy era at Bellamy's former club Cardiff City.
Tom King, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Joel Colwill have earned late call-ups as a result of the hefty number of unavailabilities - so Bellamy is facing something of a selection dilemma in areas this week.
Even so, in Brennan Johnson, Kieffer Moore and Sorba Thomas, they have three attacking players who have each made stunning starts to the 2025-26 season.
Indeed, Johnson has two goals in his first three Premier League outings, Moore has five goal involvements (four goals and an assist) in five appearances in all competitions for Wrexham and Thomas has two goals and three assists in just four Championship games since joining Stoke on a permanent deal from Huddersfield.
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Nottingham Forest's Neco Williams, Bournemouth's David Brooks, Leeds pair Dan James and Joe Rodon and, to a slightly lesser extent, Fulham's Harry Wilson - the star of the Bellamy era so far - are all getting action in the top-flight.
Brooks even earned a spot in Troy Deeney's team of the week following his display in the Cherries' 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs man Johnson was also included a week earlier.
It all bodes well when it comes to Wales' quest for a third ever World Cup qualification.
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Kazakhstan's sole victory in qualifying so far came against group minnows Liechtenstein, with that triumph being their first in nine competitive outings since beating San Marino - now ranked dead last at 210th in the world by FIFA - 3-1 in November 2023.
North Macedonia remain unbeaten at the midway stage of qualifying and are well placed to challenge Belgium and Wales for the top two spots - with first place earning qualification to the World Cup and second earning a place in the play-offs.
With Wales' remaining two home games being against the pair who are likely to be their strongest rivals in the group, Bellamy's men - who face Canada in a friendly in Swansea next Tuesday - can really strengthen their hand with two additional positive showings on the road in somewhat tricky but more than winnable fixtures against Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein.
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In facing Kazakhstan - ranked 114th in the world, 83 positions lower than Wales - Bellamy's side will also have to navigate playing on an artificial pitch, which will undoubtedly evoke memories of a certain fixture with Andorra at the beginning of Euro 2016 qualifying.
But Wales' destiny remains in their own hands, and their showing in Belgium proved that - when they are on it - they can do the business against any of their Group J opponents.
Venue: Astana Arena, Astana Date: Thursday, 4 September Kick off: 15:00
Live on iPlayer, BBC One, S4C
