Bosnia plans attacking game in must-win Qatar match, coach says

Bosnia and Herzegovina intends to adopt a more attacking approach when facing Qatar in a must-win World Cup fixture, coach Sergej Barbarez announced Tuesday.

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For us, it's never our goal to defend for 90 minutes. There are always phases of the game when... you let the opponent play.

The two teams are set to play on Wednesday, with both realistically requiring a victory to keep their hopes of progressing in the tournament alive. Bosnia's campaign began with a draw against co-hosts Canada, followed by a defeat to Switzerland in Group B. A draw in their upcoming match would leave both Bosnia and Qatar with two points, likely insufficient for qualification.

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It's not going to be a match of long balls and defending. It will be two teams that will have to fight to win.

Barbarez expressed that his team's objective is not to defend for the entire match. "There are always phases of the game when... you let the opponent play," he told reporters. He anticipates an engaging contest, stating, "It's not going to be a match of long balls and defending. It will be two teams that will have to fight to win."

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Us being or not being favourites to win the match will not change our approach. Looking at FIFA's ranking, Qatar should be the favourite. They are better ranked than us, so we need to pay attention.

Despite being considered favorites, Barbarez cautioned his team against complacency, noting that Qatar is ranked higher by FIFA. "Form can beat quality sometimes," he concluded, emphasizing the need for Bosnia to remain vigilant and prepared for a tough challenge.

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Form can beat quality sometimes.