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Wales qualify for Euro 2016


Wales reached their first major tournament finals in 57 years in bizarre circumstances as they qualified for Euro 2016 despite defeat in Bosnia-Herzegovina.


Needing a point to end a wait stretching back to the 1958 World Cup, Chris Coleman's side were beaten by Milan Djuric and Vedad Ibisevic's second-half goals.

But they went through anyway thanks to Cyprus' 2-1 victory in Israel, which sparked wild celebrations from the away fans in Zenica.

Wales' first defeat of the campaign saw them overtaken at the top of Group B by Belgium, who qualified with a 4-1 win in Andorra.

Relive the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Those success-starved supporters can now look forward to next summer's tournament in France, and consign half a century of heartache to history.

Littered with false dawns and squandered opportunities, Welsh football has come to be defined by agonising failure - but not any more.

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The current generation of Wales players grew up watching agonising near-misses. Paul Bodin struck the bar with a penalty in a defining World Cup qualifying defeat against Romania in 1993, while Mark Hughes' side lost a European Championship play-off against Russia 10 years later. It is the anguish of the past which has inspired this generation.

Delight in defeat

A year ago, Wales and Bosnia were inseparable in an absorbing goalless draw in Cardiff, and Coleman's men knew a repeat would clinch Euro 2016 qualification.


Top seeds at the start of the campaign, Bosnia needed a win to keep alive their play-off hopes but were without their captain and all-time leading scorer Edin Dzeko.

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