Ten-man Norway let a Cardiff lead slip as Wales struck back twice
Oscar Bobb's early opener was cancelled out by Daniel James and a Neco Williams free kick after Torbjorn Heggem's red card, leaving Norway beaten 2-1 in the Nations League.
CARDIFF: Norway led for less than half an hour in Cardiff on Thursday night and left with nothing, as Wales came from behind to win 2-1 in the Nations League and end their long wait for a victory.
Oscar Bobb put the World Cup quarter-finalists ahead inside eleven minutes, exchanging passes with Martin Odegaard to burst past Ben Davies and beat Danny Ward at the near post.
Wales levelled seven minutes before half-time. Liam Cullen dispossessed Sander Berge to launch a rapid counter-attack, Lewis Koumas fed Sorba Thomas, and Thomas's cross was swept home by Daniel James for his eleventh Wales goal.
The red card that turned it
The contest tilted within seconds of the restart. Torbjorn Heggem dragged down James just outside the penalty area with the winger denied a free run on goal, and the referee showed a straight red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Neco Williams punished Norway from the resulting free kick, arrowing his strike past Orjan Nyland, whose first step to the left proved fatal as the ball flew to his right.
Haaland's quiet night
Erling Haaland was kept quiet all evening and drew a rare international blank. His first sight of goal came in the 58th minute, when he climbed above Davies only to head David Moller Wolfe's cross over the bar.
The win was Wales's first of 2026 and their first in the top tier of the Nations League at the ninth attempt, after one draw and seven defeats across two campaigns. It also eased the pressure on manager Craig Bellamy, who had not tasted victory since thrashing North Macedonia in a World Cup qualifier last November.
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