Bosnia bidding to take the final step

CHARISMA can have extraordinary power. In the summer of 2008, Miroslav Blazevic took over a Bosnian national side in crisis.

Mehmed Kodro had been sacked as coach after refusing to play in a friendly in Tehran from which, it later turned out, members of the football federation board were set to make €132,000, and the bulk of his squad had gone on strike in sympathy. Blazevic insisted his role was “political” and “humanitarian” rather than necessarily having much to do with football.

The force of Blazevic’s personality overrode ethnic divisions, and Bosnia reached a play-off for World Cup qualification in which they faced Portugal. They were unlucky in the first leg in Lisbon, losing 1-0, then flat in Zenica, when they also lost 1-0. Blazevic stood down and took on a job in China. Yet what Blazevic’s bluster had obscured was just what a gifted young squad this is.

The Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko is the obvious star, but Zvjezdan Misimovic and Miralem Pjanic provide an intelligence in midfield, and Haris Medunjanin impressed as a deep-lying creator in Bosnia’s draw in France alongside the more destructive Elvir Rahimic. New coach Safet Susic has switched from a back three to a 4-2-3-1 and the result is a more balanced side than Blazevic’s, one that doesn’t seem quite as hyped on emotion.

Susic’s problems for the rematch against Portugal are twofold: can he lift his players after they came within 11 minutes of qualifying in Paris?

Portugal are without the Zenit St Petersburg playmaker Danny and Atletico Madrid full-back Silvio, while Jose Bosingwa and Ricardo Carvalho have fallen out with the manager Paulo Bento.

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA (probable): A Begovic; A Zahirovic, E Spahic, M Besic, S Lulic; M Pjanic, E Rahimic, Z Misimovic, H Medunjanin; V Ibisevic, E Dzeko.

PORTUGAL (probable): R Patrício, J Pereira, B Alves, Rolando, F Coentrao, R Meireles, Pepe, J Moutinho, C Ronaldo, Nani, H Postiga.