Bosnia in strong position to reach last 32, Qatar out of World Cup

Bosnia-Herzegovina stands on the brink of a historic achievement, potentially reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup for the very first time. This significant step forward came after a decisive 3-1 victory over 2022 hosts Qatar in their final Group B match on Wednesday.

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This evening the disappointment is huge, even though it is Brazil. We must recognize the quality of the opponent and learn from these situations to come back stronger.

With this win, Bosnia has accumulated four points in the group. This tally places them in a strong position to qualify as one of the best eight third-placed teams advancing to the last 32. In stark contrast, Qatar's World Cup journey ends at the group stage, a repeat of their performance four years ago.

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And coming back stronger will be in five days, against another great team, semifinalist of the last edition (of the World Cup). We will have to be up to the task and make our fans proud.

The match saw an early breakthrough for Bosnia, with their youngest-ever World Cup player, 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic, scoring a stunning goal. An own goal by Qatar's goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada further extended Bosnia's lead. Although Qatar managed to pull one back late in the first half through Hassan al-Haydos, Bosnia sealed their victory with a second-half goal from Ermin Mahmic, who also scored in their previous match.

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We cannot belittle this when it comes to Haiti. Today we were on the biggest stage in the world, against one of the best teams in the world.