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Wales boss Bellamy still wary of Bosnia veteran Dzeko

Craig Bellamy has warned that veteran Bosnia and Hercegovina striker Edin Dzeko remains a threat to Wales’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.

Dzeko, who won two Premier League titles during five years at Manchester City, turns 40 on Tuesday — the same day that Bellamy is due to announce his squad for this month’s World Cup play-offs.

Wales host Bosnia in a Cardiff semi-final on March 26 and Dzeko — now with Bundesliga 2 club Schalke after playing for Italian giants Inter Milan and Roma — still captains his country.

“He was never that speed player, but his link-up play and game intelligence is always going to be high,” said former City forward Bellamy, whose time at the Etihad finished in the same summer of 2011 that Dzeko moved to Manchester.

“He’s still playing at a good level and he’s definitely a dangerous player.

“The idea for us would be to keep Bosnia away from our box because that’s when he comes into his own.

“The more time he’s outside the box, the benefit it would be for us.

“We know Bosnia is going to be a tough game. Physically they are very good, well-organised.

“They are good in both boxes and don’t need too many chances to score.”

Wales or Bosnia will host either Italy or Northern Ireland on March 31.

The winners of the play-off final will qualify for this summer’s World Cup co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

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