Our two million "coaches" forget that this is our first time at the World Cup

The Dragons' great advantage at the World Cup is their psychological stability – believes celebrated BiH footballer Nikola Nikić.

After the first goal in the match against Argentina, he says, ninety percent of teams would have collapsed psychologically, but the Dragons held on as if nothing had happened, and even Kolašinac, who was hit by an unfortunate ball, played well afterwards.

- Only great teams and great players can do that – Nikić told the BiH news agency Patria (NAP).

For Nikić, sport is a job where you can win, lose, or draw. The outcome is never known. That's why, he says, he's a bit bothered by the excessive expectations of the Dragons. He would also like our team to win the World Cup, but it should be remembered that even bigger football powers like Spain have fallen, and England has minimal chances to advance to the second round. It is clear, says Nikić, that we should hope and fight, but it is not shameful if we lose.

A country where half the population are "coaches", says Nikić, forgets that the Dragons qualified for the World Cup for the first time, that they are playing for the first time in the most famous stadium in the world, in the country that is the cradle of football. Something like that, he says, is not at all simple.

However, realistically predicting, he believes the Dragons have a great chance to advance to the second round of the competition. If we beat Nigeria tomorrow, our path is half open. He admits that he himself has been making calculations for days about who Džeko and the team might get as an opponent in the next round.

- In both matches, we must play as if it were the World Cup final. Nothing less. And our guys can do it. We are one of the few teams at the World Cup that has been playing continuously for six or seven years. That is our great advantage – says Nikić.

- It is a great thing that we, as a small country, have qualified for a major competition at all. And now we need to understand our guys. They are under pressure. When I played, I didn't have it because my boss told me not to think about anything, just to score goals. That's how I behaved. Now it's a different time – says Nikić with a laugh, in his own style.

For him, 2014 is the year of sport in Bosnia and Herzegovina. First, the Dragons qualified for the biggest football gathering, and then the handball players also achieved historic qualification for the World Cup to be played next year in Qatar. We are used to the success of the sitting volleyball team from before, but it is flattering that they have reached the semi-finals of the European Championship, which is being played in Poland, for who knows how many times.

- This is definitely the year of BiH sport. Many things have happened that will be recorded in golden letters in the history of this country – says Nikić.