Excitement was building in Cardiff on Tuesday as Wales prepared to take on Poland in a must-win game to secure qualification for Euro 2024. Welsh fans are optimistic but nervous ahead of the match, with both sides having won their semi-finals comfortably. A win for Wales will see them qualify for their third consecutive European Championships, having qualified for the 2016 and 2021 tournaments. The match takes place in Germany in June and July.
Welsh fans have been expressing cautious optimism ahead of the match, with many hopeful for a win but wary of star striker Robert Lewandowski. One fan, Curtis Walter, said that if Wales played like they did against Finland, “we have got a chance”, while Lewis Webster urged the team to “play like you have been playing”. Conor Thomas was the most confident of the three, saying that Wales were “expecting to get there”. However, Polish fans were less enthusiastic, with Pavel Gadk predicting a 1-1 draw and warning that Wales’ strong home run at Cardiff City Stadium would make it a difficult game.
Despite nerves, Welsh fans have been travelling across Europe to support their team, sporting their signature bucket hats adorned with badges and pins. Cardiff council announced that the city’s castle would be lit up in red on Tuesday night to support Rob Page’s men. The atmosphere was gradually building in central Cardiff on Tuesday afternoon, with supporters of both sides strolling around town. Meanwhile, at Pierogi, a Polish dumpling restaurant in Cardiff Market, staff expected to sell almost double the amount of dumplings they usually sell on Tuesday, boosted by travelling Polish fans.
One man torn between loyalties ahead of the game was Chris Orzechowski, co-owner of Pierogi, who has lived in Cardiff for longer than he lived in Poland. Although he had two tickets for the match, he said he was supporting Poland. However, he was also looking forward to seeing “dragon fire” on the pitch, adding that his restaurant normally sold about 1,500 pierogies in a single day but expected to sell an extra 2,500 on Tuesday
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