While global media reported on his unusual move during the match Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Italy match at Bilino Polje Stadium, 14-year-old Afan Čizmić, a U15 player for FC Čelik and a ball boy at Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica, told Anadolu Agency how he outsmarted Italian star Gianluigi Donnarumma in the decisive moments of the World Cup playoff. By taking the goalkeeper’s paper with the analysis of Bosnia and Herzegovina shooters just before the penalties, this boy became the “13th player” of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a hero of a historic victory.
On the pitch at Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica, where dreams of the World Cup were at stake on the night of March 31, Afan stood calm seven days later, with the smile of a boy who believed he had done something great for his national team.
During the dramatic moments before the penalty shootout, experienced Donnarumma used an old goalkeeper trick, leaving a note inside a towel with a list of Bosnia and Herzegovina players and descriptions on how they usually take penalties. However, the experienced Manchester City goalkeeper did not count on the sharp eye and heart of the boy from Zenica, who took advantage of his inattention, ran to the line, and took the note.
When he recalled those moments, Afan said that the atmosphere that night was at its peak, both outside the stadium and in the stands. As a ball boy, he experienced the match intensely.
“I watched the match carefully. With every shot and every save, I felt like I was part of the match, just like everyone else. This match was a do-or-die moment for our national team,” said Afan. The key moment that global media wrote about happened before the first penalty.
“I saw that Donnarumma left the paper behind the towel and read from it. It was the list of our penalty takers. At that moment, there was some dilemma about whether to take it or not. I wondered if someone was going to say something or do something. I started to go for it, and then stopped halfway. Then I decided to go for it, and whatever happens, happens. I went out there, took the paper, and ran away. That’s all,” Afan recalled, describing the instinctive move that earned him the nickname “13th national team player.”
Loss of Concentration of the Italian Giant
When he saw the reaction of the Italian goalkeeper, he knew he had succeeded. Donnarumma was confused and visibly annoyed by the disappearance of the “cheat sheet,” which was visible in the match stream.
“I felt happiness because I saw he was angry and had lost concentration. I knew our players were safe,” Afan said, standing in the exact spot where he “stole” the win from the Italians.
Father Emir: “I always told him to watch closely every action”
Afan’s father, Emir, also a former footballer, expressed his pride in a short conversation with Anadolu Agency about what his son had shown. He described him as an extremely hard-working and dedicated boy who lives for football. He expressed a strong belief that Afan will one day play for the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I always told him that, as a ball boy during the match, he should not look at the stands or who came to the match, but should carefully follow every action to help his team,” Emir said. It seems that the father’s advice was crucial on the night against Italy.
The young Afan Čizmić comes from a sporting family. In addition to his father Emir, who also played for Čelik, Afan’s uncle Mirsad Galijašević is a legendary figure in Zenica football – the scorer of the most important goal in FC Čelik’s history, in the 1972 Mitropa Cup final against Fiorentina (1:0). Half a century later, on the same pitch and against another Italian giant, Afan created his own historic moment.
When asked about sporadic criticism on social media, where some called his action “theft,” young Afan remained unbothered. He said he did what every fan would want – he helped his country.
Afan emphasized that the role of ball boy in the match is extremely important, citing the famous Jose Mourinho, who often highlighted the importance of children beside the pitch.
“I do not pay attention to those comments; I do not read them. Everyone would love to be in my place. If we had played in Italy, someone would have done the same to our Vasilj, our goalkeeper. You must be ready for everything. Those who write such comments did not watch the match. If they had, they would have seen Donnarumma did the same,” said Afan, adding that on that night he felt like he was playing for the national team and hopes that one day he will wear the Dragons’ jersey.
“I jumped the whole game, held my head, and followed all our chances until the end. I was just waiting for that goal and praying to God that we score and go to the World Cup. I watched the entire match and felt like a ‘13th player.’”
Donnarumma’s Paper Goes to Humanitarian Auction
The famous “Donnarumma paper,” which he carefully folded and put in his pocket will not stay with him. “The paper will go to auction, and all proceeds will be donated to charity,” Afan confirmed.
When asked what he would say if he met Donnarumma tomorrow and Donnarumma asked why he did it, Afan confidently replied, “I would tell him I did it to help my national team. If we played in Italy, some of the kids would have taken it from Vasilj.”
Vedad Mujčinović, a coach in Čelik’s youth academy who has arranged ball boys for years during Čelik matches and for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, described Afan as a “golden, hard-working, and well-raised boy.” He revealed how much Afan believed Bosnia and Herzegovina would qualify for the World Cup.
“After the match against Austria and did not qualify directly for the World Cup, and found out we would play in the playoffs, Afan immediately asked me, ‘Boss, can I be a ball boy against Italy?’ I told him, ‘Let’s first play against Wales and see what happens.’ He said, ‘No, no, boss, I want to be a ball boy against Italy.’ He was convinced that we would qualify. Of course, I fulfilled his wish because he deserved it,” Mujčinović said.
After the game, an unforgettable scene unfolded: “He came to me and showed me the paper: ‘Boss, I took it from Donnarumma.’ Maybe he thought I would scold him, but I told him, ‘Good job, you helped the national team.’ He took the paper, spread it out, and showed it to everyone. Those boys are not just spectators. They affect the game, the rhythm, and the result; they sense when they need to help. Afan was our 13th player that night. And that night, we were all Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
When asked about the events that followed the match in Zenica and his potential trip to the World Cup, Afan confirmed that everything is in progress and he expects phone calls.
Dreams of Playing for the National Team
Although he became a global media topic overnight, Afan said he knows it is important to stay grounded. His dreams are clear – he trains hard and has impressive statistics: 12 matches, 18 goals, and 14 assists. His role model is Ronaldo, and among national team players, he named Edin Džeko and Tarik Muharemović. His ultimate goal is that one day he will run onto the pitch at Biljino Polje not as a ball boy, but as a first-team player wearing the national crest.
Until then, his story remains demonstrates how, in football as in life, sometimes the heart and wit of a boy can conquer even the “greats.”
The British newspaper The Sun described Afan as an “unexpected hero,” highlighting that his move left Donnarumma without key information during the penalty shootout. The Spanish outlet Cadenaser calls him a “hidden hero” of the game and highlights his move as a key detail of the penalty shootout. Titles include “How 14-Year-Old Ball Boy Played a Crucial Role in Bosnia and Herzegovina qualifying for the World Cup, Winning against Italy.”
