Guest article by Peter Ryan

Wales will welcome Canada to the Swansea.com Stadium this evening, as they prepare for their first international friendly under Craig Bellamy. Both teams are coming off victories and will look to keep their momentum going.

The Welsh head into the contest ranked 31st in the world rankings, with Canada at 28th, meaning a close encounter could be on the cards. Bellamy’s side will be hunting for a significant result as massive clashes are on the horizon. It is an interesting and unpredictable match-up.

Wales are coming off a vital 1-0 victory over Kazakhstan in Astana in a World Cup qualifier. On his 50th appearance for Wales, Kieffer Moore slotted his 15th international goal. Harry Wilson’s free-kick found Liam Cullen’s flick, and Temirlan Anarbekov could only parry it away. In a flash, Kieffer Moore pounced and finished with instinctive precision. A composed Dylan Lawlor made some vital defensive plays. The 19-year-old gave a spectacular account of himself on debut.

Even though Wales weren’t at their best, they got the job done. The win moved them to the top of Group J, with North Macedonia and Belgium chasing them. Back home, Wales will look to get another win, this time against North American opposition.

Like their opponents, Canada tasted victory last time out. Jesse Marsch’s side stunned Romania in Bucharest. In a formidable performance, the North American side secured a 3-0 victory. It was a historic achievement, as the victory marked the nation’s first win on European soil since 2009.

Jonathan David kicked off the scoring with a glancing header. A slip from Horațiu Moldovan opened the door in the 22nd minute. Ali Ahmed strode through it, seizing his first goal on the international stage.

The game was capped off with a late strike from Niko Sigur. What made the result even more impressive was that it came without stars like Alphonso Davies. Canada will look to keep their winning record alive as they build towards the World Cup.

The home of Swansea City will play host to tonight’s match. For Wales, this game is more than a friendly; it is preparation for the battles ahead.

The looming clash with Belgium at home will be telling, not forgetting the England clash at Wembley in a month. Both teams are without key players. Wales are missing players like Danny Ward, Nathan Broadhead and Ethan Ampadu.

Canada are without the likes of Davies and Alistair Johnston. The history between the sides is brief, consisting of just three friendlies, with Wales holding two wins to Canada’s one. The last chapter was written in Wrexham in 2004, where Wales triumphed 1-0.

Two sides searching for rhythm before the storms ahead meet under the lights of Swansea. It promises to be a contest of fine margins.

Sportin Wales’s coverage of Wales’s World Cup qualifying campaign is proudly sponsored by S4C. You can watch all of Wales’s matches this year for free on S4C and S4C Clic.

If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.

Our podcast is back for the new season and our co-founder Alex Cuthbert is in charge! You can find all the episodes here or the video versions on our YouTube channel.

You can also keep track of our pieces and videos on our socials at @Sportin_Wales on X or Sportin Wales on Instagram and Facebook.