Wales received praise for their display, but Craig Bellamy believes there is still room for improvement after acknowledging how hard his team had to battle during a tight 1-0 loss in Portugal.
A deflected attempt from Joao Felix secured the win for the home team in Lisbon, while a Cristiano Ronaldo strike was disallowed following a VAR review.
The result gave Portugal a successful opening to their Nations League title defence and marked a victorious debut for new head coach Jorge Jesus.
Although Bellamy’s injury-depleted squad spent much of the match under pressure, Wales finished with purpose as Brennan Johnson and Lewis Koumas both nearly found a late equaliser.
“It was a very challenging match, and we had to endure some difficult periods,” Bellamy said.
“I cannot remember us spending that much time in a match without possession.
“We could have used the ball more effectively, but I am still incredibly proud of the team.
“Several players were unavailable, but that is something we are capable of dealing with.
“Many of those involved do not receive regular playing time, so producing that level of energy required tremendous determination. This group has repeatedly shown such character, and they demonstrated it once again.”
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