Whatever the result of Wales's friendly football match with Georgia in Swansea tonight, just putting out a team will represent a huge victory for the visitors.

Because the British Embassy in Tbilisi was closed, 18 of the Georgians were forced to travel by coach for 24 hours from their war-torn country to obtain UK visas in Azerbaijan before flying to Wales.

Members of the squad who play in Russia were banned from leaving the country to join their team-mates .

“The result is not important,” Petar Segrt, the technical director of the Georgian football federation, who organised the hazardous and clandestine journey, said. “It is a simple way to show the Russians that they can bomb us and send in the tanks but they will never stop the Georgian people.”

Hector Cuper, the Argentinian who was appointed manager of the Georgian national team three weeks ago, met his players for the first time in Swansea yesterday. Zurab Khizanishvili, who plays for Blackburn Rovers in the Barclays Premier League and lives in Manchester, is likely to captain the side.

Explore Football

• Premier League

• Football League

• Scotland

• European Football

• International Football

• TheGame

• Live Match Tracker

• The Fink Tank

• Fantasy Football