Wales striker Sam Vokes says his team will be ready for Serbia’s tough atmosphere on Sunday evening.
Chris Coleman’s men take on the group-leaders in Belgrade this weekend and pressure is on Wales to get a result.
They currently sit four points behind Serbia with games fast running out, and the last time Wales played in Serbia, they were given a night they will seldom forget.
Serbia smashed wales 6-1 in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, a haunting memory they will need to overcome this time around.
The edgy atmosphere in Belgrade, provided by the passionate Serbian support, will be another big challenge for Coleman’s men, but it’s something they’re ready for according to Vokes.
“You hear people talking and I’m sure they’re bigging it up as a huge game for them, it’s a huge game for ourselves and we’re ready to go into that atmosphere,” said the Burnley striker.
“We have a lot of lads now with a lot of caps - and that’s international football - going into these sort of places is our job, so it’s something we have to be used to.”
The in-form striker also called upon his team-mates to stand up to the challenge following a string of underwhelming results.
Wales have only managed one win in their first five games of the current campaign.
Vokes added: “We’ve picked up draws when we’ve dominated games, but it’s time we stand up now and get a result.
“If we get a good result out in Serbia, we can go into the rest of the campaign with momentum.
“It’s a massive game for us and one the lads are definitely up for.”
Wales will be without Real Madrid star Gareth Bale for the trip to Belgrade following his yellow card against Republic of Ireland, a booking which took him to the card limit.
Heading away to face group-leaders Serbia without their top scorer makes Sunday’s clash a daunting one for many, but Vokes is confident Wales can get the job done.
“We’re going to miss Gareth (Bale) on Sunday, but it’s been a good week of preparations and the players who have stepped into those positions have done very well.
“We’re a good enough team now and we have the players to step in and do a job.”
Vokes is set to achieve his 50th Wales cap on Sunday evening, nine years after making his debut in a 1-0 friendly win over Iceland.
The 27-year-old has fond memories of his first international appearance. He recalled: “It was a good trip, a few of us got the call-up and it was a great honour to get that first call-up.
“It’s been a fantastic journey, obviously some dark days and also some fantastic days.
“There have been a lot of players, but the core group have picked up a lot of caps on that journey and they’re still around.
“This a huge game for us and it would be a huge honour to get my 50th (cap) on Sunday.”
(Featured image: Steindy)