Wales 1-1 Turkey: Rob Page's side miss out on automatic qualification for Euro 2024
Wales will have to win two play-off matches in March if they are to make it through to Euro 2024.
They drew 1-1 with Turkey on Tuesday night but Croatia's win over Armenia send them through as runners up in Group D.
Wales will now face Finland, Iceland or Ukraine in a play-off semi-final on March 21, and will then have to win a play-off final to make it to the Euros through the back door.
After a rousing rendition of the national anthem, Brennan Johnson, brought into the starting line-up by manager Rob Page for this one, got things underway.
The first chance of the match fell to Wales in the fifth minute. Nathan Broadhead picked up a loose Turkish pass and cut inside. But his curling effort went just wide of Ugurcan Cakir's left post.
Minutes later, the breakthrough came. Jordan James was first to pick up the scraps in midfield and Harry Wilson shielded it brilliantly before picking out the advancing Neco Williams on the far side.
The wing back cut inside, like Broadhead moments earlier, but this time the ball found the bottom corner to give Wales a 1-0 lead.
Wales continued their strong start but felt aggrieved as a number of decisions went against them. Twice striker Johnson was brought down inside the area and Wilson on the edge of the box too.
All three shouts were waved away by Slovenian referee Matej Jug.
Turkey hadn't offered much going forward but on the stroke of half time, the ball dropped to Kerem Akturkoglu in the Wales penalty area. Welsh hearts were in mouths as he pulled the trigger but the half volley was lashed hopelessly high and wide.
In added time at the end of the first half, bad news filtered through from Zagreb. Ante Budimir had given Croatia the lead.
In Cardiff, Wales were leading 1-0 at half time but were still heading for the play-offs in March with automatic qualification slipping away.
Page's side came alive early in the second half and Broadhead slid Johnson in behind. The striker shot low but substitute goalkeeper Altay Bayindir made the save.
Turkey settled fastest into the second half though and the sense of injustice that accompanied every decision that went against Wales did little for the men in red. Frustration filled the air.
In the 58th minute, defender Samet Akaydin missed a golden chance to draw the visitors level. His header from six yards out was straight at Danny Ward. A yard either side, and it would have been a goal.
Soon after, Johnson cut inside and rifled one goalward from the edge of the box, but it struck David Brooks in an offside position and Turkey breathed a sigh of relief.
Then came disaster in the 70th minute. A long ball floated into Ward's arms but Ben Davies was adjudged to have brought down a Turkish attacker, who had no chance of making it to the ball.
But referee Jug, having dismissed three Welsh shouts for a penalty pointed to the spot. Yusuf Yazici sent Ward the wrong way from the spot to put the visitors on level terms.
The game ebbed and flowed before Johnson had the ball in the Turkish net in the 84th minute, only for him to be correctly flagged offside.
Wales couldn't find a winner and frustrations boiled over at full time. But it mattered little due to Croatia's victory.
Wales: Danny Ward; Tom Lockyer, Ben Davies (C), Joe Rodon; Connor Roberts, Neco Williams, Jordan James, Ethan Ampadu; Nathan Broadhead, Harry Wilson, Brennan Johnson.
Turkey: Ugurcan Cakir (C); Ferdi Kadioglu, Samet Akaydin, Abdulkerim Bardakci, Cenk Ozkacar; Ismail Yuksek; Yusuf Sari, Abdulkadir Omur, Salih Ozcan, Kerem Akturkoglu; Bans Alper Yilmaz.