In the early moments of the match, Sunjic became the second player to challenge Qatar’s goalkeeper Abunada, who had to dive smartly to his left to deflect the ball. Qatar’s performance needs to improve quickly.
A fan from Kári Tulinius shares their thoughts: “Growing up the idea that Icelanders would ever brag about the summer weather to foreigners was as fanciful as the notion that our national team would ever reach the World Cup, but here in Reykjavík it’s 13 degrees Celsius and sunny.”
Only two minutes into the game, Qatar sent a long, aimless kick downfield, seemingly aiming for territory.
Bosnia and Herzegovina responded immediately, pushing the ball to the other end where Demirovic unleashed a shot from the edge of the box, testing the goalkeeper. Their intent to dominate is clear.
Peep! Peep! Peep! The match is underway!
As the full squads gathered around the center circle, the scene appeared somewhat eccentric.
Commenting from afar, Alexandra Hamilton remarked, “It is also absolutely horrendously hot here in China. Not enjoying some of these kick off times but there we go. Real feel temperature during the day has been 41 Celsius. Horrendous. Missing Costa Rica in this world cup so cheering for Cape Verde! Thanks as always for the excellent commentary!”
A comparatively mild 32 degrees Celsius marks the weather here.
Edin Dzeko is seen preparing himself for the game.
One fan noted, “It’s too bad that Qatar’s Ro Ro doesn’t play for the boat-powered Norway team!”
Now seems the perfect time to read up on the Qatar team guide.
Let’s hope tonight’s match will be an improvement over the England game.
Peter Oh humorously added, “For us, it’s never our goal to defend for 90 minutes,”
This match marks Edin Dzeko’s 150th cap for his national team, significantly surpassing Miralem Pjanic, who has 115 appearances.
Before each match in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup journey, Sarajevo has been adorned with vibrant colors – and two distinct flags.
The first flag, the national symbol since 1998, features blue and yellow halves diagonally divided and accented by a line of white stars. The second flag showcases golden lilies on a blue shield against a white backdrop, representing a profound historical legacy.
In news from Qatar, midfielder Assim Madibo received a five-match suspension due to a red card that resulted in a severe injury to Canada’s Ismael Kone, as confirmed by FIFA on Wednesday.
During their second Group B match, Qatar experienced a disheartening 6-0 loss to Canada, during which Kone suffered a broken leg from Madibo’s reckless tackle.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s ruling imposed a five-match ban for serious foul play, which can be appealed to the FIFA Appeal Committee. Kone has undergone surgery, and Madibo, along with Qatar’s sports minister, visited him in the hospital to check on his recovery, as per the Qatar Football Association.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s lineup is as follows: Vasilj; Malic, Radeljic, Katic, Kolasinac; Basic, Sunkic; Demirovic, Dzeko, Alajbegovic, Bajraktarevic.
Substitutes include: Jurkas, Zlomislic, Mujakic, Hadzinkadunic, Dedic, Tahirovic, Gigovic, Memic, Hadziahmetovic, Burnic, Mahmic, Bazdar, Tabakovic, Lukic.
Qatar’s formation consists of: Abunada; Miguel, Laye, Gaber, Khouki, Albrake; Boudiaf, Fathy; Junior, Alhaydos, Afif.
Substitutes for Qatar are: Zakaria, Barsham, Mendes, Aloui, Alhussein, Hatem, Alganehi, Alaaeldin, Muntari, Abdurisag, Ali, Mohammed, Manai.
If following this match isn’t your preference, you might want to tune in to Rob Smyth for Switzerland versus Canada.
Tonight is a significant evening for flags.
Coach Sergej Barbarez indicated that Bosnia and Herzegovina intends to adopt a more aggressive strategy against Qatar, emphasizing the need for a win to keep their World Cup aspirations alive.
A draw would leave both Bosnia and Qatar with only two points, likely insufficient for third-place qualification. Barbarez believes the high stakes will lead to an exciting match.
“There are always phases of the game when… you let the opponent play.” Barbarez stated during a press briefing with mostly Bosnian journalists. “It’s not going to be a match of long balls and defending,”
“It will be two teams that will have to fight to win.” he continued. “Us being or not being favourites to win the match will not change our approach,”
Bosnia anticipates strong support from their fans, who have shown up in considerable numbers in Seattle this week. Conversely, Qatar is also expected to bring a significant number of supporters, as sections of Seattle Stadium were already adorned with Qatari flags on Tuesday night.
Bosnia enters the match as the favorite, and a win would likely set them up for a round of 32 clash against co-hosts the United States. However, Barbarez cautioned that despite their status, they must remain vigilant against their opponents.
“Looking at Fifa’s ranking, Qatar should be the favourite. They are better ranked than us, so we need to pay attention.” he emphasized. “Form can beat quality sometimes,”
“Sometimes form can overcome quality,” Barbarez concluded.
David Pleat has been providing commentary for us. I wonder if he’ll have time to contribute to a few live blogs later in the tournament.
Will any players be making summer moves?
If Bosnia and Herzegovina hopes to advance, Edin Dzeko will be crucial. Even at 40, he remains a goal-scoring threat.
If you appreciate the complexities of match scenarios, this is for you.
Welcome to what feels like a contest for third place in Group B. If this extensive tournament serves any purpose, it’s giving less dominant teams a chance to vie for a spot in the knockout stage. Bosnia and Herzegovina starts the day with a point earned against Canada, who subsequently improved their goal difference by defeating Qatar. With a goal difference of -3, Bosnia must secure a win, ideally by several goals, to maximize their chances of advancement.
Qatar must also win, ideally by a significant margin, as they currently sit with a goal difference of -6. A draw would effectively end the tournament for both teams.
This setup promises to deliver an intriguing and attacking match, which is something to be appreciated.
Here’s to an exciting encounter.
- World Cup 2026
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Qatar
- World Cup
