Viva Bosnia Herzegovina After 42 Year

The scenes immediately after Bosnia-Herzegovina’s 1-0 victory in Lithuania that secured their first-ever ticket to a FIFA World Cup™ will live long in the memories of the country’s 4.6 million inhabitants. While some players cried tears of joy, numerous others danced and sang on a live broadcast alongside two of the nation’s television presenters. All-night parties ensued in the streets of Sarajevo before the team was paraded from the airport to the city centre on an open-top bus. 

Sergej Barbarez is better placed than most to try to make sense of the outpouring of emotion in his homeland. “What’s happening right now affects all Bosnians deeply,” the former international midfielder told FIFA.com in an exclusive interview a matter of hours after the triumph. “The fact that we’ve finally qualified for a World Cup is priceless for us, especially after we narrowly missed out on reaching a major international tournament twice in a row. Football has shown our country what can be achieved. You have to experience it yourself to understand it. It’s incredible!”