Wales came away from Shkoder with the lead they wanted and a performance that Rhian Wilkinson was happy to admit was not their best. An own goal from Ezmiralda Franja after 21 minutes was the difference in a 1-0 win over Albania in the first leg of their Women's World Cup play-off semi-final. The return is in Llanelli on Tuesday, and Wales will need to be sharper there.
A goal that came from a crowd
The only goal arrived from a Lily Woodham corner. Rachel Rowe was one of several players jostling for a touch in the area, the ball ricocheted around and ended up in the net. The video assistant referee checked it, found nothing wrong, and Franja was credited with the final touch. It was messy and perhaps a little fortunate, but Wales will not be handing it back.
After that Wales had plenty of the ball and not much to do with it. Albania, ranked 68th in the world and 37 places below the visitors, were the side creating the better chances. Franja and the lively Fortesa Berisha were both denied by Safia Middleton-Patel before the break.
Post, offside flag and a long night for the defence
The second half was an uncomfortable watch for the travelling fans. Berisha ran beyond Gemma Evans early on and forced another sharp stop from Middleton-Patel, then hit the rebound against the far post. Megi Doci found the target soon after, but the flag was up for offside. Berisha slashed a late effort over the bar when the game was already running out of time.
Wales did settle in the final quarter. Hannah Cain, the squad's leading scorer, had been left on the bench and came on to latch on to a pass from fellow substitute Scarlett Hill, but with the angle tight she dragged her shot across the face of goal. Hill and Olivia Francis both made their competitive debuts. "I'm really excited for Scarlett Hill and Liv Francis," Wilkinson said.
Short-handed and still unbeaten
Wilkinson was without nine regular squad members this window, among them Liverpool midfielder Ceri Holland, Ffion Morgan and Ella Powell. She played attacking midfielder Mared Griffiths at right wing-back, and Griffiths was one of the brighter players on the night. The win stretched Wales's unbeaten run to nine matches, which equals the longest in the national team's history, a sequence from November 2013 to August 2014.
"We learn to win on hard days," Wilkinson told BBC Wales. "I didn't think we defended really well today, but we didn't quit." Sophie Ingle was blunter about the second half: "We panicked at times, but we dug deep and managed to keep a clean sheet away from home." Former Wales striker Gwennan Harries spoke of a sense of relief, adding that Wales always seem to make it difficult for themselves.
What the second leg could mean
If Wales avoid defeat in Llanelli they reach a two-legged play-off final in December, with Norway or Romania as the opponent. Even then, a place at next summer's World Cup in Brazil is not guaranteed. Eight European play-off winners are in the mix, seven go straight to the tournament, and the lowest-ranked of them faces an inter-confederation play-off in February. Wales could easily be that team. The job in Llanelli is to finish the tie and, ideally, to do it without needing a post to save them.
Match facts: Albania 0-1 Wales (half-time 0-1), Women's World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final first leg, Loro Borici Stadium, Shkoder, Friday 9 October 2026, attendance 642. Goal: Franja (Albania, own goal) 21'. Second leg: Llanelli, Tuesday 13 October. Winner plays Norway or Romania in a two-legged final in December.
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