Kieffer Moore header helps Wales sink Latvia after Gareth Bale farewell

28-Mar-2023 20:51:53 | Guardian

So far, so good. Wales claimed their first Euro 2024 qualifying win courtesy of Kieffer Moore’s first-half header. This was Wales’s first game back in Cardiff since their group-stage exit at the World Cup and a sold-out crowd gave Gareth Bale, the most-capped male player and the country’s all-time leading goalscorer, a fitting send-off. The Latvia coach, Dainis Kazakevics, went on the charm offensive in the buildup to the game, talking up Wales’s chances of topping Group D ahead of Croatia, but this display provided little evidence of those credentials.

Fifteen minutes before kick-off Bale bid farewell to the Wales supporters who have adored him since he made his debut for his country in 2006 as a 16-year-old left-back. A visibly choked Bale, who flew in from California for the game, was presented with a commemorative plaque and cap before addressing the Red Wall who serenaded him as he emerged from the tunnel. “I’m going to miss playing in front of you,” Bale said. “It has been the biggest pleasure.”