Football united the people in BiH, why not Cyprus?

The text by Cypriot journalist Andreas Vou for a Cypriot portal highlights the dual success of the BiH football team. It's not just about qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but also about something much more significant: what it meant for the people, or rather the peoples of BiH.

According to Vou, Cyprus could learn something from Bosnia's recent past. The Cypriot problem has been long-standing and complex, but not unique. Many countries in the world have or have had conflicts between different ethnic or racial groups, and BiH fits this profile. Today, three constituent peoples live in BiH: Bosniaks 48 percent, Serbs 37 percent, Croats 14 percent, and Others.

The recent success of their national team meant a new beginning for all citizens in BiH. As the Cypriot journalist states, all constituent peoples are represented in the BiH national team.

Although tensions still exist, according to the author's opinion, unity has been achieved precisely thanks to the football team.

Due to the persistent problem of the Turkish and Greek parts of Cyprus, the author believes that sport can unite them, just as it did in BiH. He cites the example of the Cypriot national rugby team already demonstrating this. One player is from the Turkish part of Cyprus and plays in the rugby team. For Burhan Turgut, there is no division between the Turkish and Greek parts of Cyprus. He says that in the end, they are all Cypriots.

Therefore, the author of the article wonders why the Cypriot football team wouldn't follow suit. He states that it wouldn't be easy at first, but for those who want to see a united Cyprus, BiH serves as proof of how much influence sport has on culture and society as a whole.

We remind you that the Cypriot football team was drawn in the same group as BiH in the qualifiers for the 2016 European Championship.