Despite earning plaudits for their resilience, Craig Bellamy insisted Wales must improve after admitting his side was forced to suffer during a narrow 1-0 defeat in Portugal.
A deflected strike from João Félix proved decisive in Lisbon, handing the hosts a winning start to their Nations League title defence under new manager Jorge Jesus, while Cristiano Ronaldo saw an effort ruled out by VAR.
Although Wales were under sustained pressure for long spells, Bellamy’s injury-depleted side finished strongly, with Brennan Johnson and Lewis Koumas both going close to snatching a draw.
“It was a difficult game for us. We had to suffer a lot,” said Bellamy.
“I think that’s the longest we’ve gone in a match without the ball.
“We could have done more with the ball, but I’m beyond proud as well.
“We have a lot of players who weren’t here. That’s OK, we can handle it.
“Many of them don’t play week-in, week-out, so for them to expend the energy they did requires a big heart. They’ve always shown that character, and they showed it again tonight.”
