June 16, (THEWILL) – Wales’ dreams of qualifying for Euro 2024 were severely dashed in a humiliating 4-2 defeat to Armenia in Cardiff.
Lucas Zelarayan and Grant-Leon Ranos both found the net twice, propelling Armenia to one of the most remarkable victories in their football history, despite being ranked 97th in the world, a staggering 71 place below Wales.
Daniel James gave Wales an early lead, and Harry Wilson narrowed the gap to 3-2 after Armenia took control with the aid of lacklustre defending by the home team. However, Armenia responded emphatically, and Wales’ misery was compounded by Kieffer Moore’s dismissal for a foul against goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich, as adjudged by Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabadov.
This defeat puts Wales in a precarious position as they prepare for a crucial match against Turkey on Monday. Armenia coach Olesksandr Petrakov savoured this sweet success, exactly a year after his Ukrainian side suffered defeat in a World Cup play-off final held in Cardiff.
Wales, who had not lost in their previous 12 home European Championship qualifiers since March 2011, when they were defeated by England, have now joined the unfortunate ranks of Belarus, Cyprus, Macedonia, and Moldova, who have all inflicted embarrassing defeats upon them in the past.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
