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Wales look ahead to Euro 2016 Group H visit of Israel

2015-09-06 11:13:00 from:SNTV

SuggestedLeadIn: Wales looked ahead on Saturday (5th September) to hosting Israel in a Euro 2016 qualifier in Cardiff on Sunday (6th September), with a win taking the home side through to the finals of a major championship for the first time in 58 years

Script: Wales take on Israel at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday, knowing that a victory will seal their place at the Euro 2016 finals in France.

That would be the country's first appearance at the finals of a major championship since the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

A 1-0 victory over Cyprus on Thursday (3rd September) - in which Gareth Bale scored the solitary goal - took Wales three points clear of Belgium at the top of the Group B standings and on the verge of qualifying.

But should Wales slip up Sunday, they would still have further games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Andorra to clinch a berth at Euro 2016.

Manager Chris Coleman isn't taking victory for granted, especially with his side in uncharted territory:

"We're having to deal with a new situation, which we've earned, like I said earlier, but.... it's going to be a tough, tough game, for both teams. It's going to be one of those games where it's going to be tight, and we've got to keep doing what we've been doing, and not get caught up in the occasion."

SHOTLIST: 1. 00:00 SOUNDBITE: (English) Chris Coleman, Wales manager (on the game against Israel):

"This game is going to be another battle for us. It's going to be touch and go either way, and we need to stay in it. So we mustn't get carried away with either where we are in the rankings or where we are in the (Euro 2016 qualifying) table. Our bread and butter is, we play with a discipline. We're difficult to beat, we don't give easy things away to the opposition. And I just need the, our supporters to stay with us.... just to stay with us. We are in, we're in new territory. We're having to deal with a new situation, which we've earned, like I said earlier, but.... it's going to be a tough, tough game, for both teams. It's going to be one of those games where it's going to be tight, and we've got to keep doing what we've been doing, and not get caught up in the occasion."

2. 00:47 SOUNDBITE: (English) Chris Coleman, Wales manager (on his side climbing above England in the FIFA world rankings):

"I haven't even thought about it to be honest. I haven't. I think, a lot's been said about the rankings and we've jumped above England, who have obviously a great team. And yeah, we can have a smile on our face, but the rankings won't get us to (the Euro 2016 finals in) France, it won't. We can have a quiet smile of course, but, it's France. Eyes always on France."

3. 0;:04 SOUNDBITE: (English) Ashley Williams, Wales captain (on Wales' previous failures to qualify for major championships):

"Tthis group of players, we feel we can achieve, really good things and that's what we've been working so hard for, every time we come together, and every game and every training camp. So, it's been the same this week. We knew that we had two games that we wanted to win at the start of the week. We got through the first one and got the result we wanted, and now we know it's down to this last one. This is the game that we're concentrating on. We're not thinking, any further than Israel, because we know, we respect Israel as a team. They're a dangerous team, and we know we've got to get the job done here."

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