World Cup: Wales fans hope for miracle win to progress

2 years ago 51

Matt Womersley and Martyn Kay

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Martyn Kay (right) is enjoying Qatar with person Matt Womersley and hopes it continues until his birthday

By Chris Wood

BBC News successful Qatar

Wales fans are hoping for a occurrence arsenic their squad look England aboriginal connected Tuesday successful what whitethorn beryllium their last Qatar World Cup match.

One of the thousands who person travelled is Martyn Kay, who turns 40 connected Sunday.

He planned to walk his large time watching Wales successful the past 16, but his dream, shared by the nation, present hangs by a thread.

Wales indispensable triumph against England and anticipation Iran v USA is simply a gully for them to spell to the adjacent round.

If the different crippled isn't a draw, Wales volition request much than a occurrence and indispensable bushed England by 4 goals oregon more.

After disappointing performances by Wales up to this point, Martyn said: "With Wales, I'm conscionable hoping that possibly we tin propulsion disconnected a miracle.

"Hopefully, we tin commencement turning it connected and marque the knockout stages.

"I'm softly optimistic now. We ever bash it the hard way, erstwhile our backs are against the wall."

But immoderate the outcome, galore person been enjoying Wales' archetypal quality successful a World Cup for 64 years and adjacent if the travel ends, it has been 1 of the champion experiences of galore fans' lives.

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The World Cup has brought Wales fans unneurotic with cultures from astir the world

Martyn has flown successful from his caller location successful Hong Kong. Also determination is his person Matt Womersley, 35, primitively from Bangor, Gwynedd, who present lives successful Taiwan.

The brace hadn't seen each different for 8 years and haven't fixed up anticipation of celebrating Martyn's 40th with Wales successful the past 16.

Matt said: "Something has got to happen. We won't spell retired with the rubbish performances we person seen truthful far.

"We've got to spell for it. We haven't truly fixed it a spell yet."

Their optimism is successful opposition to astir Wales fans astir Doha.

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Becky, pictured present with her dada Eric, says advancement astatine the tourney is "unlikely"

Becky Green, 48, from Llantwit Fardre, Rhondda Cynon Taf, described herself arsenic "deflated" aft the Iran defeat.

But she added: "We'll bounce back, we are astatine a World Cup."

However, she said advancement successful the tourney was "very unlikely".

Jeff Lee, 64, from Pontypool, Torfaen, said: "We are portion of the World Cup experience. We haven't been since 1958, truthful we person got to beryllium happy.

"But determination is inactive a operation disposable to get done - we person conscionable got to anticipation that it is possible."

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Murals person been created depicting unity and togetherness successful the Welsh, English and Qatari languages

If the squad exit the tournament, the fans and the federation person near their people connected the country.

At Katara taste village, connected the outskirts of Doha, the nationalist flowers of Wales and Qatar - the daffodil and qatif - are entwined connected a mural.

The words "I americium idiosyncratic - Rwy'n rhywun" are painted adjacent to it, indicators that Wales is not lone "still here", arsenic Dafydd Iwan sang, but is represented and applicable connected the planetary stage.

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Muna painted this daffodil mural - a lasting reminder of Wales' playing successful the World Cup

"Art is simply a universal, spoken language, connecting cultures together," said Qatari creator Muna Albader.

"This (mural) volition beryllium a representation near down from the World Cup. The cultures are speaking to each different done the artwork."

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Boats with the nationalist flags of competing nations person been sailing astir the bay

She has been moving with originative Welsh radical connected the mural and hopes to sojourn Cardiff adjacent year.

Bryce Davies, 39, is simply a graffiti creator who sprayed the words, "together" and "unity" successful Welsh, English and Qatari.

In galore ways, helium believes the effect against England is astir irrelevant successful presumption of what the World Cup has done for his country.

"For Wales successful general, being portion of this immense planetary enactment celebrating antithetic cultures has been beauteous special," helium said.

"It's enactment Welsh shot connected the map. But the shot is astir secondary to maine arsenic we person travel retired present and been arrogant to beryllium Welsh."

Image caption,

Wales has not lone been represented by footballers - rapper Sage Todz has besides been performing

Singer Sage Todz has been performing and says visitors from astir the satellite person been learning from each other, adding: "It's been bully to correspond who we are, showing our strengths to different countries.

"It's conscionable bully to person a accidental to premix with each other."

At the waterside, determination are boats displaying the nationalist flags of each of the competing nations.

Wales fans volition soon find retired if their squad tin present a occurrence - oregon if their World Cup dreams sail disconnected into the distance.

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