Bosnia-Herzegovina edged closer to advancing beyond the group stage of the World Cup for the first time in their history following a decisive 3-1 victory over the 2022 hosts, Qatar, in their final Group B match on الأربعاء.
With this win, Bosnia now have four points, placing them in a favorable position to qualify as one of the top eight third-placed teams, thereby securing a spot in the tournament’s last 32. Meanwhile, Qatar’s campaign ended prematurely as they were eliminated in the group phase.
The breakthrough came courtesy of Bosnia’s youngest ever World Cup participant, 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic, who delivered a stunning long-range strike after skilfully navigating past two opponents. This goal, combined with an own goal by Qatar’s goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, seemed to put the European side firmly in control.
However, Qatar fought back late in the first half through veteran Hassan al-Haydos, the team’s most capped player at 35 years old, who narrowed the deficit and briefly reignited his side’s hopes.
Late Goal Seals Bosnia’s Triumph
As the match neared its conclusion, Ermin Mahmic secured Bosnia’s victory by scoring his second consecutive goal in the 80th minute, effectively putting the result beyond doubt.
Bosnia started the game aggressively, immediately putting pressure on Abunada with two attempts within the first four minutes. The goalkeeper first denied a powerful shot from Ermedin Demirovic and then expertly tipped away a strike from Ivan Sunjic.
Despite his early heroics, Abunada was powerless to stop Alajbegovic’s extraordinary goal. The young player’s celebration was emphatic; after his teammates swarmed him, he calmly gestured to the crowd by placing a finger to his lips, savoring the moment.
Meanwhile, Edin Dzeko, who was earning his 150th international cap, increasingly influenced the game as it progressed, contributing to Bosnia’s commanding display that ultimately sealed their historic progression in the tournament.