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Bosnia and Herzegovina will be making their World Cup debutthis year and are expected to make the next round due to the calibre of players they possess and a favourable group.We take a look at 5 players who could be key in their firstever World Cup campaign.
#5 Asmir Begovic
The 26-year-old custodian has been in irresistible form the past few years and it’s only a matter of time before he moves to a bigger club. Begovic kept 5 clean sheets in the 10 games that Bosnia played in the qualifiers as they lost only 1 game and drew another.
The highly rated shot stopper has made headlines in the Premier League on a regular basis as he often pulls out great saves to keep his side in games. In the modern game, even goalkeepers contribute a lot to their team, and Begovic fits that bill. His reactions are impeccable, he rarely flaps during corners and his distribution isn’t the worst either, all in all, a perfect keeper.
#4 Vedad Ibisevic
Manager Safet Susic has gone with two recognised strikers for the World Cup with most of the hopes resting on Edin Dzeko’s shoulders. But, what if the pressure gets to him? What if he fails to carry his superb Premier League form into the World Cup? That’s when Ibisevic comes to the picture.
Bosnian fans need not worry as they have another good striker in the form of Ibisevic partnering Dzeko. The 6’ 2”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, with 7 of those coming in the qualifying stages.
Ibisevic, like Dzeko, is an all-round player who is good in the air and has nifty foot work.
#3 Miralem Pjanic
AS Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic is the name on everyone’s lips right now. 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 Bosnia faithful will be hoping that he has a good tournament just as he has done in the Serie A (6 goals and 6 assists). He is one of the youngsters to watch out for as he is still only 24.
Some of the key components that make him a threat are his versatility and ability on the ball. He was often played in a deeper role when at Lyon and had such good set piece taking ability that he was considered a replacement for Juninho!
The midfielder played in a more advanced role after making the switch to Roma and has not disappointed. He can also play on the right hand side as tried by Susic in the qualifiers, hence adding more balance to the team.
#2 Emir Spahic
He’s their captain and has abundance of experience at club level, which helps when you’re playing in a big tournament like the World Cup. Spahic looks like a diminutive figure when on the pitch, but looks can be deceiving, the centre back is 6-feet tall and orchestrates play from the back.
He is 33, which makes people wonder if he has enough juice in those legs to keep up with pacey players, but the skipper’s answers come in the form of positioning and reading of the game which has won him many admirers in Germany.
For Spahic, history beckons as he’ll captain Bosnia in its first World Cup and he could even go into folklore if Bosnia surprise everyone and go as far as possible in the tournament.
#1 Edin Dzeko
When Edin Dzeko joined Wolfsburg in 2007, nobody could have predicted that he would lead them to their first ever Bundesliga title a year later. He scored 66 goals in 111 games and soon a move to the Premier League materialized in 2011. With Manchester City, he has won all the trophies except the Champions League, which puts him in the category of the most decorated Bosnian players.
Dzeko was in fine form during the qualifying stages and mustered 10 goals in 10 games. He has an impressive goals tally of 35 in 62 games while playing for Bosnia and if he continues his goals to games ratio, then you can be sure that Bosnia will go far in the World Cup!
