Bosnia’s captain, Edin Dzeko, was left with no choice but to clutch an ice pack while he watched his teammates secure a spot in the World Cup. The 40-year-old forward suggested it could have been “fate”, as a last-minute injury prevented him from participating in Tuesday’s penalty shootout against Italy.
The match in Zenica concluded in a 1-1 draw after extra time, with Bosnia rallying from behind against a 10-man Italy in a game filled with drama. Dzeko collapsed in the dying moments after a foul by Davide Frattesi.
Home supporters likely braced themselves with concern as Bosnia’s all-time leading scorer approached the centre circle for the coin toss, nursing an ice pack on his shoulder. Ultimately, the striker had to leave the pre-shootout formalities to one of his teammates.
“I keep saying it must have been fate for it to happen right at the end of the match, and then for me to be unable to take a penalty,” Dzeko remarked during a jubilant press conference on Wednesday.
“Someone else stepped forward in my place, scored, and in the end, we triumphed.
“Who knows, maybe if I had taken it, I wouldn’t have scored, so it all feels like it was meant to be.”
In a striking turn of events, Bosnia’s final two penalty takers, 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic and 21-year-old Esmir Bajraktarevic, had a combined age that was younger than Dzeko’s. Nevertheless, both stepped up with incredible poise to convert their penalties.
Dzeko, who played and scored in Bosnia’s sole previous World Cup appearance in 2014, joined in the exuberant celebrations wearing a sling – still visible during the press conference – but was optimistic about his chances of recovering in time for the finals.
“We’re all relieved about the arm; it’s not the worst possible outcome,” Dzeko stated.
“Most likely it won’t require surgery. So I’m hopeful that in maybe a month or a month and a half, I should be back.”
Compiled by SportArena.au
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