Wales must 'put aside compassion' for Ukraine, says Rob Earnshaw

Ukraine players celebrate with their fans after an emotionally-charged World Cup play-off semi-final win in Scotland

Former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw says Robert Page's current side must "put aside their compassion" for Ukraine in Sunday's World Cup play-off final.

Ukraine beat Scotland 3-1 in their semi-final on Wednesday to give some cheer to their war-torn country.

Oleksandr Petrakov's side now face Wales in Cardiff for a place at Qatar.

"As a Wales fan and wanting Wales to go through you've obviously got mixed emotions, because it's the compassion you feel for Ukraine," Earnshaw said.

"But what I feel and I think what most people in Wales will feel on Sunday is we're going to put that aside, because this is a football match and we're in competition in football for those 90 minutes.

"It is very tough when you're faced with something like this because it's about humanity in this moment and I think everyone has felt so much for Ukraine. They feel the pain, they feel the pain of a country at war."

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Former Ukraine striker and manager Andriy Shevchenko has said the football team's bid to reach the World Cup is "the hope of the country" under attack by Russia, adding: "We need to play for the fans, for the whole of Ukraine, for those at home, for those defending the country and for those who left the country."

Earnshaw, who scored 16 goals in 59 games for Wales, has extra empathy from his time playing on loan for Maccabi Tel Aviv, with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and its neighbours.

"I was in Israel for a few months, I was in the middle of a war and I know what it feels like... you're feeling the missiles in and around," Earnshaw told Radio Wales Breakfast.

"So when you come up in this situation it's going to be very, very tough but you've just got to put it aside, it's a place at the World Cup, it's a football match at that moment and we've got to represent ourselves as a Wales nation going against Ukraine.

"Yes, we feel for them and everything about that off the pitch and for their country, but when it comes to the football we've got to remember it's a competition at that moment."

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Anti-war banners and flags were displayed by many Ukraine fans inside Hampden

Wales have suffered qualifying near-miss agony so many times since their one and only World Cup appearance in 1958, just missing out on the 1978, 1986 and 1994 tournaments.

"It's one of [the biggest games in Welsh football history], I felt the heartbreak when Wales [lost to] Romania, all the qualifiers I was faced with - the Russia game in 2003 in the Euro play-offs where we lost there," Earnshaw, 41, added.

"But let's make no mistake about it, this is one of biggest, biggest games. It's going to be emotional, it's going to be a great, great occasion - lots of pressure - and we are so excited for it.

"Wales will never have a bigger chance to go to the World Cup than this."