Barbarez: Džeko looks like a warrior and wants to play, confirm victory over Romania against Cyprus

(Patria) - The national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina will face the national team of Cyprus in the second round of qualifications for the FIFA World Cup 2026, and for this occasion, an official press conference was held today where the coach of our "A" national team, Sergej Barbarez, and player Ivan Šunjić addressed the media.

The coach spoke about the health condition of captain Edin Džeko and the scorer of the goal against Romania, Armin Gigović:

"We are still trying something with Edin. He really looks like a warrior, but he has the will to play beyond all criteria and suggestions. That simply speaks to his character, so we will wait for the match. Everything else is okay. Armin is okay."

The coach also commented on the post-match comments.

"Honestly, we have only won one match. Both Ivan and I and the other guys have enough experience to assess these things. Of course, it was a nice victory, I was more impressed by the way we won, the running approach, which, with Ivan at the forefront, was extraordinary for me," stated Barbarez, then briefly commented on the match against Cyprus: "We know that without a good performance tomorrow, it means almost nothing."

There was also talk about the preparation for Cyprus.

"It's normal that we don't reveal our cards. Euphoria means nothing to us. Of course, it's nice to see, but we know what it was like five days ago. I know how to manage it in my head so that it looks the way it should. Now, on paper, we are the favorites, but I don't like to use that word, it means nothing to me. Romania was the favorite, and they lost," said Barbarez.

The coach on the newcomers in the national team:

"I don't shy away from the fact that I am proud not only of the result but also of the way the guys performed. I give them huge responsibility, and then they see that the team is alive. We can talk day and night about tactics, but football is a living thing.

Amar brought us a new dimension. His speed, his responsibility. I like the Czech league in principle. His responsibility at 23, even though his position has been new for him since January. He is an offensive player. After talking to him, he is a player you would wish for."

After a great performance in Bucharest, Ivan Šunjić also addressed the media:

"The goal is to play well as a team, like in Romania, and every player's goal is to play as well as possible and help the team get three points. It was very important to win after so long, but you shouldn't be too down even when you lose. You have to take it game by game, and that's not a cliché. Now we are thinking about Cyprus, and the most important thing is to repeat that team play like against Romania."