Bosnia captain Edin Dzeko could only hold an ice pack and watch as his teammates secured World Cup qualification. Lihat juga pemf. The 40-year-old declared it must have been ‘fate’ after a latest injury ruled him out of Tuesday’s penalty shootout against Italy.
The match in Zenica ended 1-1 after extra time, with Bosnia coming from behind against 10-man Italy in a match full of dramatic twists, with Dzeko hitting the deck in the final seconds after a foul from Davide Frattesi.
Home fans must have feared the worst when Bosnia’s all-time top scorer headed to the center circle for the toss with an ice pack on his shoulder, with the striker ultimately leaving the pre-shootout formalities to a teammate.
“I keep saying that it must have been fate, that it happened in the last second of the match and that I couldn’t take a penalty,” Dzeko said at a euphoric press conference on Wednesday.
“Someone else came instead of me, scored and in the end we won.
“Who knows, if I had taken it I might not have scored, so it all feels like it comes from above.”
Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj didn’t even have to make a save during the shootout. Pio Esposito fired Italy’s first penalty high over the bar and Bryan Cristante’s spot-kick hit the crossbar as the home side cleared all four penalties.
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The final two candidates for Bosnia, 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic and 21-year-old Esmir Bajraktarevic, have a combined age lower than Dzeko’s, yet both have stepped forward to convert with remarkable composure.
Dzeko, who played and scored in Bosnia’s only previous World Cup appearance in 2014, took part in the jubilant celebrations wearing a sling – which was still in place at the press conference – but sounded optimistic about his prospects of recovering in time for the final.
“We are all relieved about the arm, it is not the worst case scenario,” Dzeko said.
«Most likely no surgery will be required. So I’m hoping I’ll be back in maybe a month, month and a half.»
Published on April 1, 2026
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