Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar: Teenager Kerim Alajbegovic rewrites World Cup history with strike in Dragons victory

Bosnia and Herzegovina moved to the cusp of knockout qualification with a commanding 3-1 triumph implicit Qatar, with the Dragons delivering their astir implicit show of the tourney erstwhile it mattered most.

After a spirited gully with Canada and a chastening 4-1 decision to Switzerland, Sergej Barbarez's broadside recovered their rhythm, showing ruthlessness arsenic they produced a triumph their tourney had been crying retired for.

Qatar, the 2022 hosts who famously became the archetypal federation to beryllium eliminated connected location soil, were handed a 2nd consecutive decision leaving them bottommost of the radical and eliminated with 1 constituent from 3 matches. 

However, Bosnia person managed to decorativeness 3rd successful Group B with Switzerland and Canada taking the 2 automatic qualification spots, portion the Dragons volition hold until each radical has played to corroborate if they are 1 of the champion 8 third-placed teams.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar: What conscionable happened?

Bosnia wasted nary clip imposing themselves connected a Qatar broadside that had shown small successful their erstwhile 2 outings, and it was their superior physicality and directness that created the openings successful a ascendant first-half display.

The breakthrough arrived connected 29 minutes, the Dragons uncovering the nett done Kerim Alajbegovic’s record-breaking strike.

Five minutes later, they doubled their vantage erstwhile Qatar’s Sultan Al-Brake enactment the shot into his ain net, making it 2 goals successful the abstraction of six minutes for the Dragons.

Qatar, to their credit, refused to capitulate without a response, and pulled 1 backmost connected 42 minutes via Hassan Al-Haydos to guarantee a nervy ambiance heading into the interval. It was the benignant of extremity that tin displacement momentum entirely, and for a little play it appeared arsenic though the hosts of 4 years agone mightiness equine a second-half recovery.

However, it ne'er materialised arsenic Bosnia were connected apical erstwhile again successful a 2nd fractional successful which Qatar offered small going forward, and Barbarez's men enactment the necktie beyond each uncertainty connected 80 minutes, erstwhile substitute Ermin Mahmic slotted location  a 3rd extremity to yet exhale the hostility from the stands and seal a effect that could yet beryllium decisive successful the contention for sound retired qualification.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar: The large talking point

Mbappe was 19 erstwhile helium announced himself to the satellite astatine the 2018 World Cup, but 18-year-old Alajbegovic, and connected a lukewarm evening successful the United States, conscionable took a grounds from the French antheral and made it his own.

The archetypal extremity of the crippled that acceptable the code for a Bosnia broadside scrapping for their World Cup lives, was scored from extracurricular the box, making him the youngest scorer from extracurricular the container since elaborate information began successful 1966. 

He besides became the each clip youngest World Cup goalscorer for Bosnia, and successful a farewell World Cup for 40-year-old Edin Dzeko, young Alajbegovic has shown glimpses of what is to come.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar: What happens next?

Switzerland connected 7 points apical Group B, portion Canada - level connected 4 points with Bosnia - are done to the adjacent circular contempt losing 2-1 to the Swiss connected the night, finishing 2nd acknowledgment to their superior extremity quality implicit the Dragons

Bosnia’s 4 points permission them third, and they indispensable present hold for the remainder of the radical games to decorativeness to spot if they are 1 of the 8 champion third-placed teams.

Qatar, connected 1 constituent from 3 games, are retired of the tournament, making it 2 consecutive World Cups wherever they failed to marque it past the radical stage.