S4C will show exclusive live coverage of Wales’ important football friendly against Iceland in the run up to the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Sgorio presenter Morgan Jones will take a break from the warmth and comfort of the studio to report pitch-side at Laugardalsvollur Stadium in Reykjavik on Wednesday, 28 May.
With Cardiff City’s historic success in reaching the F.A. Cup Final and Swansea’s promotion to the Championship, the international side will be looking to emulate the clubs’ performances.
Morgan says, “Without a doubt, Cardiff and Swansea’s recent success has raised the profile of football in Wales. Who knows, maybe we’ll see one of our teams challenging the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea in the Premiership in the near future.”
Wales are keen to extend their unbeaten run of five matches and Morgan Jones believes that the mixture of experienced players and new talent means they have a very good chance of success.
“Jason Koumas is essential to the squad because he’s experienced and very creative on the football field. It’s crucial to have the old heads present to assist the young blood that is pushing through the ranks. One of the new fledglings is Swans’ midfielder Owain Tudur Jones who played in the last friendly against Luxembourg.
“The players have proved that they can travel away from home and get results; they are very capable of winning in Reykjavik. There is strength and depth in the squad and Toshack has plenty of options. This puts more pressure on the players on the pitch because they know there’s always someone ready to take their place,” adds Morgan.
Despite expecting to be disappointed by John Toshack’s return as Wales coach, Morgan admits he has been pleasantly surprised.
“When he took up the role, Toshack had a vision about what he wanted to achieve - he sacrificed big names and brought in inexperienced players. His decisions have brought results to the table but the real test will come when we play in the big tournaments, especially when we try to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.”
Morgan joins commentators Nic Parry and Malcolm Allen in Reykjavik, while Gareth Roberts will be joined by special guests in the studio.
© 2008 S4C
O Gymru / Made in Wales