Page "Wales national football team" Paragraph 13

In the Asian / African qualifying zone Egypt and Sudan had refused to play against Israel whilst Indonesia had insisted on meeting Israel on neutral ground.

As a result FIFA proclaimed Israel winners of their respective group.

However, FIFA did not want a team to qualify for the World Cup finals without actually playing a match and so lots were drawn of all the second placed teams in UEFA.

Belgium were drawn out first but they refused to participate and so then Wales was drawn out and awarded a two-legged play-off match against Israel with a place in Sweden for the winners.