Ranos’ double hits Wales’ Euro 2024 hopes as Armenia pull off shock win

Wales suffered a major setback in their hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 after a humiliating 4-2 defeat at home to Armenia, a country sandwiched between Kyrgyzstan and Belarus in the Fifa rankings, 71 places below Wales.

For Wales, this was frankly a dire performance and an ignominious defeat, one which had shades of those sore losses to Moldova, North Macedonia and Cyprus that supporters thought were consigned to yesteryear. Just as in Nicosia in October 2007, this was a desperate Group D Euro qualifying defeat and it remains to be seen quite how damaging it will be on their chances of reaching a third successive major tournament.

Wales took an early lead through Daniel James but once Armenia found their stride they exposed frailties in Rob Page’s side. There was utter disbelief as Lucas Zelarayan wellied in a fourth, this stadium, so often alive with noise, silenced but for around 200 Armenia supporters.

Things went from bad to worse when Kieffer Moore was wrongly sent off for a contretemps with the Armenia goalkeeper as this game turned tempestuous but ultimately Wales had to swallow a first Euro qualifying home defeat since losing to Bulgaria in 2010. In recent years Wales have been able to count the lows on one hand but this was a damning night that will linger for a while yet.

The last time Oleksandr Petrakov left a game here, as Ukraine manager 12 months ago, he had to stomach a raw World Cup playoff final defeat, but only after, while holding back the tears, he gave an impassioned diatribe against “Russian barbarians” and their invasion of Ukraine.

It was as moving as press conferences get but this time the Ukrainian was attempting to upset Wales in an Armenia kit. Wales settled quicker and led inside 10 minutes