In their final group stage match against Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina will play a match that could secure the Dragons a place among the top 32 nations.
Following the draw against Canada (1:1) and the defeat against Switzerland (4:1), Sergej Barbarez’s side has no room for calculations.
A victory over Qatar would almost certainly secure us a place in the knockout stage of the World Cup, most likely by qualifying as one of the best third-placed national teams.
The third-placed national teams do not enter an additional draw, but are allocated according to a predefined FIFA table.
If the Bosnia and Herzegovina team finishes third in Group B and qualifies for the next round, almost every scenario would pit them against the Group D winner.
According to available predictions, with 392 out of 495 possible qualifying combinations for the third-placed teams, Bosnia and Herzegovina would face the winner of Group D.
Only One Scenario Leading Towards the Group E
There is only one mathematical calculation in which the Dragons, as third-placed from Group B, would take on the winners of Group E.
For that to happen, among the eight best third-placed national teams, the teams from the groups B, E, G, H, I, J, K, and L would have to qualify, while the third-placed teams from the groups A, C, D, and F would miss out on qualification.
Such a turn of events is unlikely.
Who Could the Dragons Face?
If Bosnia and Herzegovina wins against Qatar and qualify among the 32 world’s best national teams, the most realistic opponents in the first knockout stage would be from Group D.
Current standings and predictions position the US, Turkey, and Australia as contenders for the top spot.
On the other hand, only a specific turn of events could lead the Dragons to play against the winner of Group E, where Germany and the Ivory Coast stand out as favorites.
However, regardless of the math, Bosnia and Herzegovina must focus on the most important task – defeating Qatar to secure a spot in the knockout stage of the World Cup, N1 writes.
