Index on former Sarajevo player: 11 years ago he was in a coma and nearly died, now he is at Hajduk

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Nihad Mujakić became the first new signing during the mandate of Mario Stanić and Ivan Kepčija. Osijek also wanted to bring him in, but in the end the two of them apparently succeeded in their intention to bring him to Poljud.

He is a 21-year-old centre-back who arrived on loan from Belgian side Kortrijk. The loan is for a year and a half, and the player should soon appear in Turkey, where he will formally sign a contract with Hajduk.

Kortrijk bought Mujakić in February of last season for 1,100,000 euros from Sarajevo, and he remained in Bosnia and Herzegovina until the end of the season, where he won the league title with the club. Since returning, he has made only two appearances. Mujakić is a regular youth international for his country, but behind his football career lies an incredible life story.

Incredible life story

In October 2009, in the Vogošća settlement of Ugarsko, he nearly lost his life. He and his half-brother Irhad Bašalija were sleeping in the family home and were poisoned by gas due to a fault in the installations. Mujakić and his younger half-brother were saved by their mother, who woke up in the middle of the night.

Both boys were unconscious, had vomited, and Irhad's father Islam immediately gave him artificial respiration, thus saving him. Both were in an induced coma for a while, and Nihad recovered somewhat more easily from the consequences.

With his signing, Hajduk filled the gap in the squad at the centre-back position created by Svatok's departure to Dnipro.