Bosnia and Herzegovina Draw With Canada in World Cup Opener; Coach Calls Result Realistic

Bosnia and Herzegovina opened their World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Canada, a result coach Sergej Barbarez described as realistic. The team held a lead until the final ten minutes of the match, but conceded an equalizer, leaving a slight sense of disappointment.

"There's always a bitter aftertaste when you lead and concede a goal ten minutes before the end. The guys were disappointed, I had to lift them up. But we have to be realistic – we also had some luck, so 1-1 is a realistic result. For us, this is a good point for continuing the competition," Barbarez stated after the game.

“

There's always a bitter aftertaste when you lead and concede a goal ten minutes before the end. The guys were disappointed, I had to lift them up. But we have to be realistic – we also had some luck, so 1-1 is a realistic result. For us, this is a good point for continuing the competition.

Barbarez emphasized the effort his players put in against a Canadian team he believes prepared for over two years for the tournament. "Canada is a top team. Of course, we lacked some balance in the game, but this is a tournament, it's played for points. And with this draw, we have opened all doors. That was the goal," he added.

Key player Edin Džeko did not play due to injury. Barbarez mentioned Džeko was ready for the final ten minutes, but plans changed when Sead Kolašinac was injured. The coach hopes Džeko will be fit for the next match against Switzerland. Džeko himself posted a brief "Let's go on" on social media following the game.

“

Canada is a top team. Of course, we lacked some balance in the game, but this is a tournament, it's played for points. And with this draw, we have opened all doors. That was the goal.