International Friendly: Wales v Ghana
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium
Date: Tuesday 2 June
Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Live on BBC , BBC One Wales, , BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and Sports Extra, website and app, plus live text commentary.
Williams Reflects on World Cup Disappointment
Neco Williams, who has earned 55 caps for Wales, has expressed that missing out on this summer's World Cup remains a painful experience. He was confident that Wales would have made a significant impact in the tournament held in America.
Wales failed to secure a second consecutive World Cup appearance after losing their play-off semi-final against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The defeat was particularly difficult for Nottingham Forest defender Williams, who missed a crucial penalty during the shoot-out.
Despite the ongoing disappointment, the 25-year-old views the upcoming friendlies against Ghana and Romania as initial steps toward moving forward, especially with Wales preparing to co-host the European Championships in 2028.
"We know what the fans are feeling because we are feeling the exactly the same all the emotions of not going to America," Williams told Wales.
"I think the most disappointing thing about not getting to the tournament is I feel if we had got there, we would have given it a real go. We would have had a good chance of going far.
"But this is the reality – the fans have got to stick with us, believe in us as players and the manager and the good times will come."
Squad Updates and Related News
- Wilson and Cabango are out of Wales' friendlies squad.
- Roberts and Davies have returned from injury for Wales.
- Partey is included in Ghana's preliminary World Cup squad.
Emotional Impact of the Play-Off Defeat
While much of the world focuses on the upcoming World Cup, Wales' attention turns to the future, including the home European Championships in 2028, which they will co-host with England, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland.
Wales finished as runners-up to Belgium in their qualifying group and were favored to defeat Bosnia at home to set up a decisive Cardiff match against Italy.
"I'm still gutted and I'm sure most of the lads are," Williams said. "It's not every day you get the opportunity to go the World Cup and we fell short on the night."
Wales were four minutes away from victory before Edin Dzeko equalized Dan James' impressive opening goal. The match proceeded to penalties, where Brennan Johnson missed his attempt and Williams' penalty was saved.
Dan James, who had missed a penalty that ended Wales' Euro 2024 qualification hopes two years prior, was the first to support Williams, highlighting the squad's unity.
"When something like that happens, you don't want to speak to anyone or be seen.
But the group we have make you forget about it very quickly. The best players in the world miss penalties and you just have to dust yourself down, get over it and focus on the next tournament."
Club Career and Future Prospects
Williams joined Nottingham Forest from Liverpool in July 2022 for a £12 million fee and has since made over 150 appearances for the club.
Strictly speaking, Wales' next tournament is the Nations League, with top-tier fixtures against Portugal, Denmark, and Norway scheduled for the autumn. This will be a significant test of the team's capabilities under manager Craig Bellamy.
With the World Cup out of reach, the next major opportunity is the European Championships, with matches planned at Cardiff's Principality Stadium if Wales qualifies.
This prospect has motivated Bellamy, who has recently attracted interest from Burnley, but Williams believes he still has much to achieve with the current squad.
"Since he's come in, he's changed so much within the team," the 55-cap defender said. "But, at the same time, it hasn't been very long so the more time we have, the better we're going to be.
We're enjoying it, we've got the Nations League to test ourselves against the best teams, and then we have the aim of the next tournament and the Euros.
Two years will fly and picturing walking out at the stadium is unbelievable – they're the moments you want in football."
Williams' Role at Nottingham Forest
Williams has been a consistent figure for Nottingham Forest during a turbulent season that saw the club go through four managers. The Liverpool academy graduate was named the club's player of the year.
He acknowledged a natural disappointment with how the season unfolded, as Forest had to fight to avoid relegation and missed out on a Europa League final after a semi-final defeat by Aston Villa.
Villa, along with Everton, Manchester United, and Newcastle, are among clubs reportedly interested in Williams. Although he has three years remaining on his City Ground contract, he is believed to have initiated talks on a new deal.
"I've got representatives to sort that kind of stuff out but I'm just enjoying my football," he said.
"We've got these two games and then I can enjoy a little break and that's what I'm focused on at the minute."
Williams is concentrating on Wales' next opportunity at a major tournament as preparations for Euro 2028 begin.
