Wales and North Macedonia honor tragedy with armbands

Craig Bellamy, the manager of the Welsh national football team, hopes that the World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia can bring some comfort to those affected by a recent tragedy. A fire in a nightclub killed 59 people and injured 155 in North Macedonia on March 16. Both teams will wear black armbands during the match to honor the victims. This match is North Macedonia's first home game since the disaster. The Football Federation of Macedonia has organized several ways to pay tribute. A national mourning period ended on Sunday, and the atmosphere at the Tose Proeski Arena is expected to be emotionally charged. Bellamy expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and the people of North Macedonia. He acknowledged that it is hard to focus on football in such situations, but he hopes that the game will help take minds off the tragedy, even for a short time. Both teams won their opening Group J matches. North Macedonia secured a 3-0 victory against Liechtenstein, while Wales defeated Kazakhstan 3-1. Bellamy emphasized that they are ready to face North Macedonia, which he considers a different challenge. He dismissed the idea that Wales is an underdog, despite their higher FIFA ranking compared to North Macedonia. Bellamy wants the team to enjoy the game and approach it positively. Captain Ben Davies reflected on past experiences in Skopje, noting that the current team is in a stronger position.