The national football team of BiH achieved the greatest success since the recognition of the Football Association of BiH by FIFA and UEFA when they qualified for the World Cup 2014 that was held in Brazil.
However, 21 years before the greatest success of our national team, only few people even knew about the country that was struggling for its survival back then, and let alone its football players. On this day, 25 years ago, our national football team played its first, although informal, match.
“The opponent” or the host to the selection of a war country was FC Genk from Belgium, and our team won that match with the score 3: 1.
Thirteen days after the match with Genk, the best BH football players played another friendly match in Koblenz (Germany) against Kaiserslautern, in which our national team was defeated with the result 4: 1.
The then team of BiH included: Enver Lugusic, Merdan Ibrahimovic, Anto Jakovljevic, Mirsad Baljic (Zurich), Refik Sabanadzovic (PAOK), Suad Katana (Genk), Faruk Hadzibegic (Sochaux), Davor Jozic (Cesena), Mehmed Bazdarevic (Sochaux), Demir Hotic (Kaiserslautern), Blaz Sliskovic (Pescara), Safet Susic (PSG), Haris Skoro (Zurich), Semir Tuce (Luzern), Meho Kodro (Real Sociedad) Predrag Jurić (Atletic Marabella), Husref Musemic, (Twente), Senad Merdanovic (Autobum), Mirza Kapetanovic (Kickers Offenbach), Ismet Mulabdic (Sibenik), Ibrahim Duro (Sibenik) and Edin Hadzialagic.
It is interesting that four football players who played for BiH in Genk back then performed the function of the coach later. After Hadzibegic and Sliskovic, Safet Susic achieved the greatest success and went to the World Cup, and after him came Mehmed Bazdarevic.
(Source: faktor.ba)
