Daniel James knows Wales cannot underestimate Kazakhstan

Phil Blanche, PA

Daniel James has warned Wales can not take Kazakhstan lightly after being punished for being “naive” in the past.

Wales open their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against unheralded Kazakhstan, 110 in the FIFA world rankings and 81 places beneath them, in Cardiff on Saturday.

Kazakhstan were relegated from the second tier of the Nations League in the autumn after taking only one point from six games, but Wales have struggled previously against lower-ranked opposition.

A 4-2 home defeat to Armenia was a hammer blow to Welsh hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024, while the embarrassment of a goalless friendly draw against Gibraltar effectively ended Rob Page’s reign last summer.

Leeds winger James said: “When Armenia came to us they were ruthless and ultimately that affected the campaign, so you can’t underestimate any team in this competition.

“Games like that you have to look back on, learn from it and be better. We may have been a little bit naive in that game when we went 1-0 up because any team can go and punish you.

“That’s what they did. You can take games like that into ones like Saturday. In international football I feel every team is so well drilled now. We always back ourselves at home, but it’s not going to be easy.

“You’ve got to go and show that on the pitch, that determination to win the game. Everyone’s come with different principles, and even if they are similar, it’s about setting out at the start of the week what we want to do as a team.”

James has been in scintillating club form with 10 goals and nine assists helping Leeds to the top of the Sky Bet Championship.

The 27-year-old was named Championship player of the month for February and is set to be handed a key role by boss Craig Bellamy against Kazakhstan and North Macedonia, who Wales travel to on Tuesday.

“As a winger I want to be as direct as possible, not turning down things,” said James.

“Sometimes I look back at games and I’ve been quite safe. That might look good from the outside, keeping the ball, but ultimately I’m in the team to try and create things.

“I might give the ball away a lot of times, but I’m trying not to be safe and create things in the final third. That kind of constant mindset of ‘Can I go and get a goal or an assist’ and believing that.

“When you do give the ball away, the reaction is so important to want it again. You might get tackled nine times out of 10, but it’s about that 10th time where something will happen. I’m trying to keep that mindset.”