Bosnia and Herzegovina: More than a one-man team

When you think of the Bosnian football team the first name that pops up in your head is none other than that of Edin Dzeko, and I don’t blame you either! The Manchester City forward has had a stellar career at Manchester City and previously at Wolfsburg as he helped both of them win their respective league titles. More recently, he scored 10 goals in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers to help Bosnia qualify for their first ever major tournament. But, as the main title indicates, Bosnia are far more than a one-man team.

If you know your football, then you’ll notice that Bosnia have a players with pedigree in certain positions. Here are few of them:

 Goalkeeper

Asmir Begovic

Asmir Begovic is the 1st choice keeper. The 26 year old custodian has been in fine form the past few years and its only a matter of time before he moves to a bigger club. Begovic kept 5 clean sheets in the 10 games that Bosnia played in the qualifiers as they lost only 1 game and drew another.

The highly rated shot stopper has made the headlines in the Premier League on a regular basis as he often pulls out great saves to keep his side in games. He might not have made the team of the year, but he is certainly up there with the top notch goalkeepers.

Begovic’s stats are certainly eye-catching  Note: Distribution accuracy is in terms of %

 

Defenders

Again, if you know your football, then you wont be surprised on why Bosnia had such a solid qualifying campaign. Led by their captain Emir Spahic who plays in the Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen, the side conceded just 6 goals in 10 games. The 33 year old has a lot of experience in his locker after playing in the Uefa Champions League and the Bundesliga for several years.

The same can be said about their right back Mensur Mujdza who plies his trade for Freiburg.

Kolasinac (left) Spahic (centre)

However, the most brightest prospect in the Bosnian back line  has to be Saed Kolasinac who plays for Schalke. The left back is strong, agile and can make a tackle or two when needed.

Senad Lulic is another name that props up. The Lazio man can play as a winger or a left back, exactly the kind of versatility needed when you are playing a tournament where the games stack up quickly.