Northern Ireland v Bosnia

GORAN ZAKARIC Partizan Age 25 Caps 6 Goals 0

EDIN VISCA Istanbul Basaksehir Age 28 Caps 36 Goals 8 Visca netted a hat-trick in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s last game – a 3-1 win over Korea Republic. He also scored three times during the World Cup 2018 qualifiers and only Edin Dzeko netted more goals among his team- mates. Visca plays his club football in Turkey and impressed in Istanbul Basaksehir’s recent Europa League games against Burnley. MUHAMED BESIC Middlesbrough Age 25 Caps 31 Goals 0 Was 18 when he became the youngest player ever to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina’s senior team against Slovakia in 2010. German-born Besic moved to England in 2014 and is currently on his second loan spell (from Everton) with Championship club Middlesbrough, where Northern Ireland midfielders Paddy McNair and George Saville Dynamo Dresden Age 24 Caps 12 Goals 0 Duljevic is currently on the books of German second division club Dynamo Dresden. He played in two of the World Cup 2018 qualifiers, starting in the 4-3 loss to Belgium and coming off the bench in the 2-1 win over Estonia. New boss Prosinecki has given him four caps since taking over. GOJKO CIMIROT Standard Liege Age 25 Caps 11 Goals 0 Had been in Greece with PAOK prior to signing for Belgian club Standard Liege in January. Cimirot is not renowned for his goal-scoring exploits having scored just five league goals in his entire career. Four of his caps have been won under Prosinecki, though he made his debut in 2014. SANJIN PRCIC Levante Age 24 Caps 6 Goals 0 The only player in this 23-man Bosnia and Herzegovina squad who plays his club football in Spain, having joined Levante over the summer. Prcic did not play a single minute for his country during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and he is yet to make an appearance in Prosinecki’s time at the helm. ELVIS SARIC Suwon Bluewings Age 28 Caps 6 Goals 0 Saric only made his international bow in January but he has featured in each of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s six games since Prosinecki took charge. The midfielder moved to Suwon Bluewings in 2017 to become one of the few foreign players in their squad, though he is yet to score in K League 1. are his colleagues. HARIS DULJEVIC

Winger who scored on his Partizan debut in August in a Europa League game. Earned his move to the Serbian club after impressing in Zeljeznicar’s 2017-18 campaign and he scored 12 times in the Premijer Liga across that season. Yet to find the net for his country but has only started two games. RADE KRUNIC Empoli Age 24 Caps 3 Goals 0 Krunic has been with Empoli since 2015 and was part of the side that won the Serie B title last term. He then scored in a 2-0 win over Cagliari in their first game back in Serie A last month. Made just one appearance in the World

Cup 2018 qualifiers. DENI MILOSEVIC Konyaspor Age 23 Caps 2 Goals 0

Milosevic was born in Belgium and represented the country of his birth at Under-17 level prior to switching allegiance and winning his first Bosnia and Herzegovina cap in March. He will link up with the national team in good spirits after scoring the winner in Konyaspor’s last match.

FORWARDS

EDIN DZEKO Roma Age 32 Caps 93 Goals 52 Last season Bosnia’s all-time top scorer became the first player to have netted at least 50 goals in three of Europe’s top five leagues, having reached half-centuries with Wolfsburg, Manchester City and Roma. Dzeko has over 50 international goals too and his goals-per- game ratio is similar to Cristiano Ronaldo’s for Portugal. KENAN KODRO Copenhagen Age 25 Caps 7 Goals 2 Kodro was born in Spain and came through the Real Sociedad system. He qualifies for Bosnia and Herzegovina through his father, Meho, a former Barcelona forward who played for and briefly managed his country. Kodro scored the only goal against Bulgaria to earn Prosinecki his first win with the nation in March. RIAD BAJIC Istanbul Basaksehir Age 25 Caps 5 Goals 0 One of two players in Prosinecki’s squad who plays for Istanbul Basaksehir, where he is on loan from Serie A side Udinese. Bajic earned his move to Italy after scoring 17 goals in the 2016- 17 Turkish Super Lig season for Konyaspor. However, he is yet to start a game for his country.

31

www.irishfa.com