Wales had endured more than half a century in the international wilderness, absent from major tournaments since the 1958 World Cup.

There followed decades of false dawns and agonising stumbles at final hurdles, until a golden generation of players emerged to inspire a new hope.

Bale, Aaron Ramsey and the rest had been around a while by the time the Euro 2016 campaign came around and, as those stellar talents approached their peak, they were ready to take Wales to new heights.

"There was definitely optimism, a quiet belief I would say," says Hal Robson-Kanu, the former Wales forward who started up front against Bosnia.

"We'd begun to get results which typically you wouldn't expect Wales to get at that level. We knew we could do something special."

Having won three and drawn two of their first five qualifiers, Wales truly started to believe this could be their time when they beat Belgium – then ranked second in the world – in Cardiff.

Coleman's side then missed the opportunity to seal qualification when they were held to a goalless draw by Israel but knew a point in Bosnia or at home to minnows Andorra would get them over the line.

And so to that night in Zenica, a hard, industrial city in the heart of Bosnia, soaked by driving rain.

Even with the security of the Andorra game to come, Wales could not hide their dejection after second-half goals from Milan Djuric and Vedad Ibisevic gave Bosnia a 2-0 win.

"It was the first game in that campaign we'd lost, so that feeling was just hurting us," Coleman tells BBC Sport Wales.

"We were playing Andorra at home in our final game, we needed a point, and I remember thinking about our history, how we always fall at the last hurdle and I was thinking, 'Come on, really?' I fancied us to do something against Andorra, but you never know, do you?

"Then I was coming off the pitch. Our fans are to the left. I remember thinking, 'They're a bit joyful. We've just lost 2-0. Why are you doing this?'

"Then I saw Mark Evans (the Football Association of Wales' head of international affairs), who had a look on his face. He said Israel won. And I swear he waited three or four seconds and then he said: 'Cyprus two.' He paused again and said: 'Israel one, Cyprus two'.

"He said we'd qualified and then I just remember turning around and all the players were waiting for me because I think they knew before I did, and I just couldn't contain myself. I just ran to anybody."

Midfielder Joe Ledley was one of the players waiting for Coleman, ready to hoist him in the air.

"Cookie (Coleman) was the best," Ledley says with a huge grin.

"I don't like losing, but it was the best defeat of my life.

"We worked so hard to achieve what we wanted to achieve. It took us many years to qualify. Once we had the news, everyone was just buzzing."

Once the players had put Coleman back down, the manager headed for the supporters.

"I remember seeing some of the faces in the crowd, some of our fans, some of our Welsh people," he says.

"On our journeys around Wales between camps, we'd travel around meeting people, and I'd just done a dinner up in north Wales. The support was brilliant.

"I remember seeing them in Bosnia. I recognised some of the faces, the supporters we saw around the country, and they were crying.

"They'd been following us for years, spending loads of money going everywhere without us giving them something back. Finally, we gave them something back."

Wales had waited 58 years for this moment. Now they had to decide how they would celebrate.

"Usually on camp there's no alcohol, but I remember coming in the dressing room in Bosnia and the lads were going crazy," Coleman recalls.

"Ashley Williams (Wales' captain) shouted from the back: 'Surely he's going to let us have a beer tonight!' I felt more pressure in that second, to say the right thing, than before the game.

"It was the biggest thing we'd ever done, and I jokingly told them we had a game on Tuesday, but the lads were like 'Yeah right', so we got some beers and went back to the hotel. Brilliant night. Those are the moments you remember."

Coleman's work was not done there, though.

"We were in the changing room afterwards, having a few beers, getting the tunes on, everyone singing and then back to the hotel and we got Chris Coleman on the guitar," says Ledley.

Back-up goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams was the squad's lead guitarist but, given this was such a special occasion, Coleman was convinced to play a few tunes as well.

"I was under pressure to play something. I can't remember what I played," he laughs.

"There were loads of people getting up singing. I was probably playing the guitar like I had a pair of boxing gloves on, but they were singing along anyway. It was great."

Ledley beams at the memory.

"It was just amazing," he says. "Nobody wanted to leave the hotel, we all just wanted to be together and celebrate.

"We were like brothers - we always fought for each other. That team bonding, that's what we were about. It goes a long way."

That togetherness took Wales further than anyone could have anticipated the following summer; an epic ride to the European Championship semi-finals which elevated the country to giddy stratospheres.

Wales would go on to qualify for Euro 2020 and their first World Cup for 64 years in 2022, while the women's side reached their first major tournament at Euro 2025.

All those moments can be traced back to Wales' qualification for Euro 2016, the summer that changed Welsh football forever.

Who knows how events may have unfolded were it not for that night in Bosnia.

"It was a special moment for us," says Robson-Kanu.

"After that we obviously had some incredible moments so it kind of got eclipsed, but it was a foundational moment for us in that journey and that evolution for us as a squad, a group of players and ultimately as a nation."

And not forgetting Demetriou's contribution.

"Obviously, it's not me that got Wales qualified but it was nice to play a little part in your history," says Demetriou, now working as Southend United's chief scout.

"If my name can stay alongside a legend like Gareth Bale, I'll take that all day long."