NewKerala.com

Key Points

Wales' new head coach Craig Bellamy made his feelings clear after a narrow friendly defeat to Canada. He took issue with opposing coach Jesse Marsch celebrating before the final whistle had blown. Bellamy directly stated he hopes to face Canada again at the 2026 World Cup. Despite the loss, he saw positive signs from several debutants in the squad.

Key Points: Bellamy Eyes Canada World Cup Rematch After Marsch Celebration

  • Bellamy unhappy with Marsch celebrating before final whistle blew
  • Wales lost 1-0 to Canada on Derek Cornelius free kick
  • New coach handed three debuts in competitive friendly test
  • Bellamy emphasizes winning mentality over process excuses
2 min read

'I hope I see you at World Cup': Angered by Marsch's celebration Wales coach Bellamy eyes Canada clash again

Wales coach Craig Bellamy angered by Jesse Marsch's pre-whistle celebration in 1-0 friendly loss, vows to meet Canada again at 2026 World Cup.

"I hope I see you at the World Cup. I hope I see you again - Craig Bellamy"

New Delhi, Sep 10

New Wales head coach Craig Bellamy hopes his team faces Canada at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after being unhappy with how his counterpart, Jesse Marsch celebrated before the final whistle blew in a 1-0 win in an international friendly.

"I still wanted to win, trust me. Honestly, I’m actually not happy because I really hate losing more than I like winning. I see him (Marsch) celebrating at the end. I’m thinking, ‘I hope I see you at the World Cup. I hope I see you again'. But I have to also be gracious. Jesse was shaking his coaches’ hands before the final whistle. I have to get used to that," Bellamy told reporters in the post-game interview.

Canada edged Wales 1-0 in a competitive international challenge match in Swansea, chosen by Bellamy to test his side. Derek Cornelius’ first-half free kick proved decisive. Cymru pushed hard after the break, with Mark Harris going close twice. Bellamy handed debuts to Ronan Kpakio, Joel Colwill, and Kai Andrews in a valuable workout ahead of October’s qualifier.

Despite the loss, Bellamy was in no mood for excuses and just wanted to see how his team fared, with youngsters taking the field on the day.

"I don’t do excuses. I don’t talk about process. I’m in the here and now, I want to win. But we had debuts, it was Charlie Crew’s first start, and we had one or two fringe players.

“I needed to see the squad and what they picked up with us. Can they play our way? I very impressed with that. But that speed of securing balls and seeing pressure, coming up with the ball, some of our boys have never been exposed to that," he added.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Marsch celebrating before the final whistle is poor sportsmanship. In any sport, you show respect until the game is officially over. Bellamy handled it with class though 👏
A
Ananya R
Friendly matches are for testing players, not for premature celebrations. Good on Bellamy for focusing on the bigger picture - developing young talent for the qualifiers. That's what matters!
V
Vikram M
As an Indian football fan, I love this rivalry building! More international competition makes the sport better everywhere. Hope both teams make it to 2026 World Cup - would be an epic rematch! 🏆
M
Michael C
Respect to Bellamy for not making excuses. Many coaches would blame the debuts and fringe players, but he's taking responsibility. That's leadership right there!
P
Priya S
While I appreciate the competitive fire, maybe Bellamy should focus more on his team's performance rather than opponent's celebrations. The 1-0 loss suggests there's work to be done regardless of Marsch's behavior.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50