Bosnia and Herzegovina showcase resilience to secure 1-1 draw against Netherlands in Nations League

Ermedin Demirovic scored the crucial equaliser in the 67th minute as Bosnia fought for a much-needed victory to honor veteran striker Edin Dzeko in his final international match. However, the draw extended their winless streak to 12 games, marking a disappointing 13-month stretch for the team.

Brian Brobbey had given the much-changed Dutch outfit a 24th-minute lead at the Bilino Polje Stadium after Koeman fielded an entirely fresh line-up for their last fixture in Group A3.

The Netherlands had already secured second place in the group, and a spot in the quarter-finals in March with a 4-0 win over Hungary on Nov 16, while Bosnia’s relegation from the top tier of the Nations League was confirmed after losing 7-0 to Germany at the same time.

Said Koeman: “I’m not satisfied with a point. I think we had to win, but Bosnia and Herzegovina reacted well after that defeat against Germany.

“We’ll be in the play-offs in March... If we have all our players available, we’re a really strong team. You saw it at the European Championships.”

Dutch captain Stefan de Vrij added: “It was a game to learn from. It wasn’t the easiest game and it’s a pity we couldn’t finish the campaign with a win.”

Brobbey headed home his first international goal from Noa Lang’s cross, flicking the ball backwards with his head from a pin-point delivery to hand the Dutch the halftime advantage.

He also had an effort soon after chalked off for offside as did Dzeko, once in the first half and again in the 67th minute after a characteristically slick touch.

The 38-year-old Bosnia captain was making his 139th and last appearance for his country.

It was his powerful shot, blocked by Dutch goalkeeper Mark Flekken, that led to the equaliser, with the rebound seized upon by Demirovic.

Said Dzeko: “Every result like this brings some positive energy and gives a push for the team and coach, especially in a game in which everyone probably expected us to lose.”

The Dutch might have snatched victory in stoppage time when 18-year-old defender Jorrel Hato had a chance to win it but blasted his shot over the crossbar.

Said Bosnia defender Amar Dedic: “We tried to relieve the pressure we felt after that defeat in Germany and I think we succeeded. We showed as a unit that we can play against big teams.”

In other significant results from the last day of Nations League group action, Wales bounced back from an early Andri Gudjohnsen goal in Cardiff to beat Iceland 4-1 and jump to first place in Group B4.

Wales needed victory to have any chance of obtaining automatic promotion to League A, but they needed Montenegro’s upset of Turkey to claim that spot with a one-point buffer, which they duly did thanks to Nikola Krstovic’s hat-trick in a 3-1 win.

Elsewhere, Sweden showcased their striking prowess with a 6-0 thumping of Azerbaijan as they emphatically topped Group C1, with such-heralded 26-year-old striker Viktor Gyokeres netting four goals. , AFP