Caernarfon Town host FCI Levadia at The Oval on 9 July 2026, the first leg of their UEFA Conference League first qualifying round tie. Welsh Cup winners in 2025-26, they have earned European football for only the second time in three seasons and will view the home fixture as a chance to bank a result before travelling to Tallinn for the second leg. Levadia arrive with considerably greater European pedigree, having finished Meistriliiga runners-up in 2025 and opening the 2026 campaign with two wins and a draw from three matches, while Caernarfon's fourth place Cymru Premier finish does little to close that gap on paper. The cup run is a different matter: a 3-0 final win over Flint Town United was a convincing piece of evidence that this squad can perform when it counts.
Richard Davies has been Caernarfon's permanent manager since 2023, having first served in a caretaker capacity, while Vjatslav Zahovaiko took over Levadia in December 2025 after previously leading their U17 side, replacing Curro Torres with assistants Maksim Rotskov and Ken Kallaste alongside him. The two coaches have no prior head to head record.
Caernarfon's league form towards the end of 2025-26 was mixed, seeing defeats against Connah's Quay and The New Saints offset by wins including one against Colwyn Bay, though the Welsh Cup run was the real story of their season. They have not been flawless in pre-season either, with one friendly defeat already reported. Levadia, meanwhile, have been dominant domestically, winning 11 of their last 13 matches with results including a 6-1 and a 3-0. Their only defeat in that run came against Flora and it barely registers against the weight of what surrounds it.
No significant injuries or suspensions have been reported on either side. Caernarfon face some defensive uncertainty after Kyle Harrison's departure to Bala Town but retain Adrian Cieslawicz and Joshua Lock in attack and home advantage at the renovated Oval is central to their plans. Levadia have added defender Abraham Nwankwo, attacker Bubacarr Tambedou and forward Wendell over the summer, giving Zahovaiko rotation options Caernarfon simply do not have.
Caernarfon's shape will be compact and disciplined, with Sion Bradley having contributed goals during the cup run and Connor Roberts in goal. Defenders Ryan Sears and Dominic Smith will face Tambedou and Wendell directly, which looks like the tie's most consequential individual contest. Danny Gosset and Paulo Mendes hold the midfield and will need to match Zakarlyuka and Skvortsov across both legs. Levadia prefer a structured, possession based approach that exploits transitions, with Tambedou and Wendell providing pace in attack, Joseph Saliste at left back and Karl Andre Vallner in goal. Cieslawicz is likely to be Caernarfon's most direct route to goal and set pieces at The Oval give them a specific avenue that their home crowd can help convert.
The second leg in Tallinn is likely to favour the Estonians regardless and Levadia's squad depth gives them the flexibility to manage both matches comfortably. Caernarfon's best hope is to make the game ugly at The Oval, limit Levadia's possession and nick something from a dead ball.
Prediction: 1-1. Caernarfon have the organisation and home support to frustrate Levadia and a goal from a set piece remains their likeliest route but Tambedou and Wendell have the pace to punish any defensive push for a second, making an Estonian away goal difficult to rule out. A 1-1 scoreline would mean Caernarfon need to score in Tallinn to advance, which is a tall order given the opposition they would face on Estonian soil but not beyond a side that beat Flint 3-0 in a cup final.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
