Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach Sergej Barbarez has blended experience, youth, and new faces in his squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, with veteran striker Edin Dzeko leading the line and midfielder Ermin Mahmic earning his first call-up.
Barbarez wasted no time in including the 21-year-old Mahmic, who was born in Austria, after FIFA approved his request to switch his international allegiance to Bosnia. “You can’t imagine how happy and proud he is to be with us,” Barbarez told reporters. “He plays as a central midfielder and playmaker… We don’t have any other player with his characteristics. He will continue to develop, with the aim of having good players for Bosnia in the next ten years.”
The youngest player in the squad is 18-year-old winger Karim Alibegovic, who has already shown the skill and composure required for major tournaments.
Bosnia will play two friendlies before the World Cup: against North Macedonia on May 29 in Sarajevo and against Panama in St. Louis. They then begin their World Cup campaign against Canada on June 12 in Toronto.