LAST UPDATE | 16 Jun 2023
WALES’ BID TO qualify for Euro 2024 suffered a huge blow as minnows Armenia pulled off a shock 4-2 win in Cardiff on Friday.
In one of the worst results in Wales’ history, Lucas Zelarayan and Grant-Leon Ranos both scored twice for Armenia, who are 71 places lower than Rob Page’s side in the Fifa rankings.
Daniel James had given Wales an early opener, but skipper Zelarayan equalised before Ranos put Armenia ahead.
Ranos netted again and although Harry Wilson reduced the deficit, Armenia capped Wales’ humiliation with a fourth goal through Zelarayan.
Wales’ misery was completed by the dismissal of Kieffer Moore after an off-the-ball clash with Armenia goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich.
Moore will miss Monday’s trip to Group D leaders Turkey as Wales, who had taken four points from their first two qualifiers against Croatia and Latvia, try to get back on track.
Wales had not lost in 12 home European Championship qualifiers, their last defeat coming against England in 2011.
But Armenia joined Belarus, Cyprus, Macedonia and Moldova as the latest tormentors of the Welsh, who endured a dismal World Cup campaign in Qatar last year.
Armenia’s victory was a cathartic moment for boss Olesksandr Petrakov, 12 months after his Ukraine side were beaten in a World Cup play-off final by Wales.
Elsewhere, Northern Ireland had a stoppage-time equaliser ruled out by VAR as a battling display went unrewarded in a 1-0 loss to Denmark.
Jonas Wind’s goal early in the second half made the difference in Copenhagen as debutant Callum Marshall saw a dream goal ruled out for offside.
The West Ham youngster flicked the ball in after Jonny Evans headed on a free-kick, but there was despair when referee Daniel Stefanski eventually signalled for offside after his colleague Tomasz Kwiatkowski took an age to review the footage.
Michael O’Neill’s men defended doggedly away to the top seeds in Group H, but a mistake just two minutes after the break proved decisive as Denmark bounced back from March’s shock defeat to Kazakhstan and put the pressure on Northern Ireland to deliver when the Kazakhs visit Windsor Park on Monday.
Additional reporting from Press Association.
The 42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
