Fiona O’Hara
A historic triumph for Wales as they qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a 1-0 victory over Ukraine.
Despite a comfortable win against Scotland for Ukraine earlier in the week, and plenty of shots at goals attempted, Wales came out on top to end their 64-year wait to re-join the World Cup stage.
“It’s the greatest result in history for Welsh football,” captain Gareth Bale told Sky Sports, as his free kick resulted in an own goal from Ukraine’s captain Andriy Yarmolenko.
Speechless. 🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴❤️
— Gabby Logan (@GabbyLogan) June 5, 2022
This playoff result means Wales will head to Qatar in November to compete in Group B against England, USA, and Iran.
Welsh fans were praised by Ukrainian supporters for their welcoming attitudes in Cardiff. Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford offered his commiserations to Ukraine, stating that “despite our differences on the field, Wales stands with you.”
Many supporters from across the world shared their joy in the result, including Welsh actor Michael Sheen and sports presenter Gabby Logan.
Welsh national pride was at full volume in the stadium as Dafydd Iwan led the crowd in a rendition of Yma O Hyd, a folk song depicting the resilience of the Welsh language and culture that first gained prominence during the 1980s. Yma O Hyd later went on to reach No.1 in the UK Charts, knocking Kate Bush off the top spot.
🏴❤️🏴❤️🏴❤️🏴❤️🏴❤️🏴❤️
— michael sheen 💙 (@michaelsheen) June 5, 2022
However, despite the outpouring of support, many have expressed their concerns with Qatar’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Tracy Brown of Wales’ official LGBTQ+ supporters’ group Rainbow Wall has stressed that many supporters do not feel they would be safe if they travelled to the World Cup later this year.
Both FIFA and Qatar’s organising committee have expressed that the tournament will be inclusive for all and that “everyone will be welcome.” This comes after global criticism of the decision to host the tournament in a country where the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and the rights of migrant workers are heavily condemned.
“The vast majority of us wouldn’t feel safe.”
The reassurance from FIFA and Qatar has not proven successful for many supporters who identify as LGBTQ+. Brown has stated that “the vast majority of us wouldn’t feel safe.”
It is currently illegal in Qatar to be homosexual, a crime that is punishable by prison sentences.
Featured image courtesy of Catrin Ellis on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license can be found here.
Fiona O'Hara
Fiona is a Sports Editor for Empoword Journalism. She is a recent graduate of The University of Glasgow and has since contributed to The National and The Herald. While her main love is Rugby, Fiona is passionate about a multitude of sports and particularly championing women's sport.