Bosnia and Herzegovina 2014 FIFA World Cup Squad: Player by Player Guide
Safet Susic skipped the formalities and named his selection of 24 players who will definitely be on the flight to Rio de Janeiro for the World Cup this summer. One player will not make the final cut, but he'll still be with the team in Brazil.
Even though the Bosnian manager did not introduce any new names, he couldn't avoid controversies. His decision to include his nephew Tino-Sven Susic resulted in whirl of comments, per the Daily Telegraph, splitting the nation in two. The fact that Susic refused to comment on the inclusion of the Hajduk Split midfielder on his roster did not help him to build bridges with fans or journalists.
The younger Susic is not a player who could make a difference at the World Cup. Bosnia and Herzegovina depend on the nucleus of the team that has been built in the last four years, with players who are playing in top leagues.
Edin Dzeko (Manchester City), who has been in superb form in Premier League, is the biggest star of the team, and Bosnians hope that he'll continue his goal production in Brazil. Expectations are big for Miralem Pjanic (Roma), whose impact in the middle could be a key for Susic's team. Other names that will be familiar to wider audiences include Asmir Begovic (Stoke City), Emir Spahic (Bayer Leverkusen), Senad Lulic (Lazio) and Vedad Ibisevic (Stuttgart).
Bosnia and Herzegovina will be the only debutante in the World Cup. They reached their first major tournament after winning their qualifying group ahead of Greece and Slovakia, with an impressive goal-scoring record. The Dragons scored 30 goals, which made them the fourth-most effective European team in the qualifiers, behind Germany, Netherlands and England.
Bleacher Report brings you the World Cup squad guide for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Goalkeepers
Name: Asmir Begovic
Date of Birth: June 20, 1987
Birthplace: Trebinje
Position: Goalkeeper
Caps: 28
Club: Stoke City (England)
Name: Jasmin Fejzic
Date of birth: May 15, 1986
Birthplace: Tupkovici
Position: Goalkeeper
Caps: 0
Club: Vfr Aalen (Germany)
Name: Asmir Avdukic
Date of birth: May 13, 1981
Birthplace: Breza
Position: Goalkeeper
Caps: 3
Club: Borac Banja Luka (Bosnia and H.)
Defenders
Name: Emir Spahic
Date of birth: August 18, 1980
Birth place: Dubrovnik (Croatia)
Position: Defender
Caps: 67
Club: Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
Name: Toni Sunjic
Date of Birth: December 15, 1988
Birthplace: Mostar
Position: Defender
Caps: 4
Club: Zorya (Ukraine)
Name: Sead Kolasinac
Date of birth: June 20, 1993
Birthplace: Karlsruhe (Germany)
Position: Defender
Caps: 2
Club: Schalke 04 (Germany)
Name: Ognjen Vranjes
Date of birth: October 24, 1989
Birthplace: Banja Luka
Position: Defender
Caps: 13
Club: Elazigspor (Turkey)
Name: Ervin Zukanovic
Date of birth: February 11, 1987
Birth place: Sarajevo
Position: Defender
Caps: 5
Club: KAA Gent (Belgium)
Name: Ermin Bicakcic
Date of Birth: January 24, 1990
Birthplace: Zvornik
Position: Defender
Caps: 6
Club: Eintracht Braunschweig (Germany)
Name: Muhamed Besic
Date of birth: September 10, 1992
Birthplace: Berlin (Germany)
Position: Defender
Caps: 7
Club: Ferencvarosi TC (Hungary)
Name: Mensur Mujdza
Date of Birth: March 28, 1984
Birthplace: Zagreb (Croatia)
Position: Defender
Caps: 22
Club: SC Freiburg (Germany)
Midfielders
Name: Miralem Pjanic
Date of birth: April 2, 1990
Birthplace: Tuzla
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 46
Club: AS Roma (Italy)
Name: Izet Hajrovic
Date of birth: August 4, 1991
Birth place: Brugg (Switzerland)
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 5
Club: Galatasaray AS (Turkey)
Name: Haris Medunjanin
Date of birth: March 8, 1985
Birthplace: Sarajevo
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 34
Club: FC Gaziantepspor (Turkey)
Name: Senad Lulic
Date of birth: January 18, 1986
Birthplace: Mostar
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 32
Club: SS Lazio (Italy)
Name: Anel Hadzic
Date of birth: August 16, 1989
Birth place: Velika KladuŠa
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 1
Club: SK Sturm Graz (Austria)
Name: Tino Sven Susic
Date of Birth: February 13, 1992
Birthplace: Sarajevo
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 1
Club: HNK Hajduk Split (Croatia)
Name: Sejad Salihovic
Date of birth: October 8, 1984
Birthplace: Zvornik
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 40
Club: TsG Hoffenheim (Germany)
Name: Zvjezdan Misimovic
Date of birth: June 5, 1982
Birthplace: Munich (Germany)
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 79
Club: FC Guizhou Renhe (China)
Name: Senijad Ibricic
Date of birth: September 26, 1985
Birth place: Kotor Varos
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 40
Club: FC Erciyesspor (Turkey)
Name: Avdija Vrsajevic
Date of Birth: March 6, 1986
Birthplace: Tesanj
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 8
Club: HNK Hajduk Split (Croatia)
Name: Edin Visca
Date of birth: February 17, 1990
Birthplace: Banovici
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 5
Club: Istanbul BB SK (Turkey)
Forwards
Name: Edin Dzeko
Date of birth: March 17, 1986
Birth place: Sarajevo
Position: Attacker
Caps: 60
Club: Manchester City (England)
Name: Vedad Ibisevic
Date of birth: August 6, 1984
Birthplace: Vlasenica
Position: Attacker
Caps: 53
Club: VfB Stuttgart (Germany)