A duel on Bila’s field. Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently in second place in group H and in case of victories in the next two matches, tonight against Romania and on Tuesday against Austria in Vienna, it can win first place and direct placement.
However, there is a possibility of another scenario, i.e. a draw or a defeat, which could leave Bosnia and Herzegovina without a chance to qualify for the World Cup. The BiH national team is aware of the pressure and difficulty of the task, but they believe they can achieve their goal. Captain Edin Džeko said that Bosnia and Herzegovina has a negative experience when it comes to situations like this, but that the players are aware of the importance of these matches and he hopes that they will respond in the best way.
“The boys are aware of what this game can mean for their careers because they are mostly younger players who have yet to make their careers. The World Cup is important for a young player, after all we all sold through the national team. We trained well and we are ready. We need to take some responsibility and enter the game with only one goal,” said Dzeko at the press conference.
For the national team, he adds, every game is special, but the upcoming two are perhaps even more important and could determine his further national team career. “We know what a win, a draw or a loss brings us. I think everyone needs every game to be like that. Each is important in its own way, but we only think about this one,” he stressed. For the Romanians, he pointed out that they have a good and young team and an experienced coach, but he hopes for the victory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The coach Sergej Barbarez pointed out that he does not feel pressure due to the importance of the next matches and that he is convinced that his players can respond to the task. “We know the calculation, but we know what our goal and our plan are.
It will be the same after these two games. It is a privilege to have pressure and it is something that is normal in football. Anyone who can’t handle that shouldn’t be in this business. We are ready, we have done everything right so far, especially yesterday when we had two training sessions. We have a plan, we play at home, which is the most important thing, and we will try to win that game,” said Barbarez.
The Dragons have so far played seven games with the Romanians, in which they won three times, while they were defeated four times. In the last match played on March 21, 2025 in these qualifications, BH. the team won 1:0 in Bucharest with a goal by Armin Gigović in the 14th minute. The match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania starts at 20:45 at the Bilino Polje stadium in Zenica.
He will be judged by Michael Oliver from England, and will be assisted by fellow countrymen Stuart Bart and James Mainvering. The fourth referee is Chris Kavanagh, while in the VAR room are Michael Salisbury and Peter Banks, all from England.
After the match against Romania, the Dragons will play three days later in Vienna against Austria in the last qualifying match for WC 2026. In Group “H” Austria is currently first with 15 points, second is Bosnia and Herzegovina with two points less (13), third is Romania with 10, fourth is Cyprus with eight points and last is San Marino with no points.
(Vijesti.ba)
