A semi-final tie with Portugal is all that stands between Wales and a place in the Euro 2016 final and, speaking at his post-match press conference, Coleman was left to come to terms with the magnitude of his side’s performance.
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Belgium continued pressuring and partly dominated the play in the first half until Wales’s captain Ashley Williams in the 30 minute put his team back into the fight when he headed a corner into the goal.
Goals from Ashley Williams, Hal Robson-Kanu and Sam Vokes condemned the Red Devils to a last-eight exit – the same stage they reached in the 2014 World Cup.
Despite making the semi-final, Coleman insisted he is not thinking about taking out the tournament just yet.
“I know my team are good enough to perform against anybody – I knew that before tonight”.
BELGIUM’S supporters showed real class after last night’s shock defeat by giving Welsh fans a touching guard of honour.
Wales must take on Portugal without suspended pair Ben Davies and Aaron Ramsey.
“I am absolutely gutted for Aaron because he’s been outstanding in this tournament”, Coleman said.
“This was an opportunity we may not get again”, the 24-year-old said following the game.
“It’s going to be an unbelievable day [for the semi-final]”. Belgium has elite players, but they had no answers for Chris Coleman’s side. “It’s quite simply the greatest night in Welsh football history, the best result in Welsh football history but more impressively, it was the best performance”.
“Unfortunately, Rambo and Ben are big losses for us but they’ve done everything that has been required of them. I’m sure the players who step in will perform”. We wouldn’t be sitting here without them.
It makes overcoming Portugal more hard but Coleman has told his compatriots not “to be afraid to have dreams”.
Leicester’s head of recruitment Steve Walsh – the man responsible the signings of N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez – has watched Wales twice in Euro 2016, sources have told us. “It’s a disappointment because we had a golden chance to go to the final”.
“It is about this team showing what we are capable of doing and getting to the final”.
“All we can do is keep reiterating to the players to never forget what it’s taken for us to be here in this position, never forget what we’ve had to do and what our beliefs and our identity are”.
“Too many mistakes to win this match against a very good Wales side”.
Julian Richards, 31, from Pontypool, said: “Belgium are a better team on paper but it’s not about paper so why can’t we go to the final?”
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He added: “We have a great team, great staff and great fans – and when you have the right balance then special nights like this can happen”.
