Wales host Bosnia and NI visit Italy in play-offs

Wales will host Bosnia-Herzegovina while Northern Ireland travel to Italy in the World Cup play-off semi-finals.

The winners will meet in the final for a place at next year's World Cup, with the winners of Wales' match at home.

The Republic of Ireland travel to the Czech Republic, with a potential home final against Denmark or North Macedonia.

The semi-finals will take place on 26 March and the finals on 31 March. All matches are one-legged.

Sixteen teams are competing for four spots at the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico.

In the draw, which took place in Switzerland, pot one teams - the top seeds - were drawn at home to pot four teams, while pot two teams hosted pot three teams.

Sides were also placed in paths deciding who they would play in the final and who would be at home.

Twelve teams entered the play-offs by finishing second in their World Cup qualifying group. Four teams, including Northern Ireland, qualified by winning their Nations League group last year.

The draw for the World Cup - which will involve England and Scotland - will take place on 5 December in Washington DC.

Path A

Italy v Northern Ireland

Wales v Bosnia-Herzegovina*

Path B

Ukraine v Sweden*

Poland v Albania

Path C

Turkey v Romania

Slovakia v Kosovo*

Path D

Denmark v North Macedonia

Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland*

*The winner of this tie will host the final

This is a play-off path laden with storylines for Wales, who have struck lucky once again when it comes to securing home advantage.

Since this format of single-leg semi-finals and finals was introduced, Wales have played all four of their matches at Cardiff City Stadium. By March next year, that could be six out of six.

First, they will need to win their semi-final at home to Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Wales clinched qualification for Euro 2016, their first major tournament for 58 years.

Then there could be a final at home to Italy, who lost on their most recent visit to Cardiff in 2002 with current Wales head coach Craig Bellamy scoring the winner.

Gennaro Gattuso, now Italy boss, came on as a substitute in that 2-1 defeat at what was then known as the Millennium Stadium.

Four-time World Cup winners Italy are the highest-ranked nation in the play-offs.

Difficult matches lie in wait for Wales, but they will fancy their chances of qualifying for a second successive World Cup, and only a third in their history.

Northern Ireland have played Italy 11 times, winning only once in 1958.

Those looking for a good omen will note, however, that the famous result helped Northern Ireland qualify for that summer's World Cup in Sweden.

Could history repeat itself?

According to the Fifa rankings, this is the hardest draw Northern Ireland could have faced.

Given that even if they win in Italy, they will be on the road again in a potential final against Wales or Bosnia, things could not be much tougher for Michael O'Neill's side.

The draw was also made for the intercontinental play-offs, which will be played in Mexico during the international break in late March.

Two of the six teams will reach the World Cup. The four lowest-ranked teams play in the semis, with the two highest-seeded teams - DR Congo and Iraq - going into the final.

Semi-final: New Caledonia v Jamaica

Final: DR Congo v New Caledonia/Jamaica

Semi-final: Bolivia v Suriname

Final: Iraq v Bolivia/Suriname