Chris Coleman has told his Wales team not to be content with a place in the last eight of Euro 2016 and to reach for the stars.
Wales are the only side from the British Isles to makes the quarter-finals after England humiliatingly followed Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland out in the first knockout stage following their 2-1 defeat to Iceland.
Two more victories – whether convincingly done or through extra-time and penalties – will see Coleman’s team through to the final.
The manager sees no reason to be satisfied with achievements so far, particularly when Friday’s opponents Belgium were beaten and held in two qualifying matches.
Coleman said: “Everyone will think it is alright because we have done well to get this far, but when you are in the quarter-final of the tournament, knowing if we can get it right there are great possibilities, it is different.
“We’re focused on maximising performances because we know what can happen with that.
“I understand people saying we have done well, but I feel there is more football and more performances in this team.
“We have coped really well with the pressure, we have won three games, we have tried to win games and that is because we have our plan right and we have stuck to it.
“That is the reason for the success of this team. We concentrate on ourselves and we have to do it again. We know what we are good at, why we are here. If we get our game plan and players right that is what matters.
“It is a one-off game, it will be on the night and if we can we bring our game and show our identity, the result is more in our control.”
After their emphatic 4-0 victory over Hungary, in which Chelsea’s Eden Hazard was sublime, the Belgians will be firm favourites.
Their manager, Marc Wilmots, can call upon a multi-talented squad, mostly picked from the Premier League’s top clubs, but the squad has sometimes looked far less than the sum of its parts.
Coleman is convinced an organised, disciplined and ruthless display like the one that earned a 1-0 victory over Belgium a year ago, will be enough to earn a place in the semi-finals.
“We got our game plan right that day,” said Coleman, whose side have not conceded against Belgium in 206 minutes of football.
“They won convincingly against Hungary and they looked good, but they don’t always play like they can and they make mistakes like anyone else. It is up to us to make sure that side comes out.”
“With their quality they will not change their style or have a completely different plan because they do not need to.
“You know what they will do but it does not mean you can stop it.
“They are not unbeatable so we know from our experience of that game that on our day, at our best we can cause Belgium problems.
“Northern Ireland was tough because it was on us, we would have felt we had missed a trick if we had lost.
“This one, we are the underdogs and it is on Belgium. Before the tournament they were expected to reach the semi-finals if not do more because of the talent they have got.
“For us, as a team, if we had not performed to certain levels then we would not be thinking how well we have done.
“Can we bring it again and perform like we can perform? Because that is what we are going to need.”
