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Midfielders
Miralem Pjanic, the Roma midfielder is the name on everyone’s lips right now in Rome. The 24 year old is silky smooth on the ball and yet can sting you when you least expect it, just ask the Milan fans! The Bosnian fans will be hoping that he has a good tournament just as he has done in the Serie A (6 goals and 6 assists). One of the youngsters to watch out for as he is still only 24.
Miralem Pjanic
Pjanic’s solo effort against Milan
Bosnia have no shortage of players when it comes to taking set pieces. TSG Hoffenheim midfielder Sejad Salihovic can belt the ball when needed and at the same time provide the finesse too, a potent weapon. Salihovic has scored 11 goals for his club this season, the majority of which have come from free kicks and penalties. Do expect Salihovic and Pjanic to have a few arguments on who should be taking free kicks in the tournament!
Forwards
You might think that Edin Dzeko is Bosnia’s only star striker, but he isn’t. Current Stuttgart striker Vedad Ibisevic can light up the attack too.
Vedad Ibisevic
The 6 feet 2 inch striker has scored 33 goals in 65 games for Stuttgart, which means a goal every 2 games. He also has 20 strikes in 51 games for the national side. The pair of Dzeko and Ibisevic scored a combined 18 goals in the Qualifiers and can definitely frighten defenses with their aerial ability, strength and finishing prowess.
Manager
Safet Susic was named the Bosnian coach on 28 December 2009. During his tenure, the country have risen to their highest ever FIFA ranking of 13th and have had a record unbeaten run of 9 consecutive wins. The team has a healthy win percentage under him and mix it up when it comes to the style of play.
Expectations
The Bosnian side will fancy their chances of progressing to the 2nd round as they have been drawn in a group that is relatively comfortable. They have been drawn alongside Argentina, Nigeria and Iran. Argentina are favorites to make it to the next stage, so it will be between Bosnia and Nigeria provided Iran don’t cause an upset.
