Bosnia end Qatar’s World Cup dream with 3-1 victory

Bosnia and Herzegovina kept their World Cup aspirations alive with a tense 3-1 victory over Qatar, securing third place in Group B and ending their opponents' tournament dreams. The win, powered by a spectacular goal from 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic, places Bosnia in a strong position to advance as one of the top third-placed teams.

Alajbegovic broke the deadlock in the 29th minute with a brilliant solo effort, firing an unstoppable shot past the goalkeeper. Five minutes later, a cross from veteran captain Edin Dzeko, in his 150th international appearance, deflected off a defender and found the net. Qatar managed to halve the deficit just before halftime through Hassan Al-Haydos, offering a brief glimmer of hope.

Despite Qatar pushing for an equalizer in the second half, they rarely threatened Bosnia's goal. Substitute Ermin Mahmic sealed the victory for Bosnia with a goal 10 minutes from time. The win gives Bosnia four points, a significant achievement in a competitive group. Qatar, despite finishing bottom, secured their first World Cup point in their second appearance, having also exited at the group stage in 2022.

“

They came around with like a folded piece of paper and they said, if it doesn’t match the size of the paper, you can’t go through.