Šuman announces list of BH handball players: Five matches await them in January

The Bosnia and Herzegovina handball team will play five friendly matches in January 2017 in Skopje and Belgrade against Macedonia (three), Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Coach Bilal Šuman has announced the list of players he is counting on for these activities, as well as the preparation and match schedule, Patria reports.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina handball team will gather on December 27 and will have activities until January 16 next year.

Coach Šuman has invited the following 24 handball players for this activity: Benjamin Burić - HSG Wetzlar (GER), Damir Efendić - Borac BL (BiH), Deni Serdarević - La Cean Handball (FRA), Adi Ahmetašević - Gračanica (BiH), Tomislav Nuić - RK NEXE – Našice (CRO), Alen Ovčina - Antaliyaspor (TUR), Faruk Vražalić - Besiktas Mogaz HT (TUR), Vladimir Vranješ - Tatabanya (HUN), Senjamin Burić - HBC Nantes (FRA), Muhamed Toromanović - US Creteil Handball (FRA), Mirsad Terzić - MKB MVM Veszprem (HUN), Nikola Prce - KS Azoty Pulawy (POL), Marin Vegar - RK NEXE – Našice (CRO), Duško Čelica - HC Constanta  (ROM), Marko Tarabochia - Orlean Wisla Plock (POL), Ivan Karačić - Maccabi Rishon (ISR), Saša Marjanac - CSM Bucuresti (ROM), Mario Pavlak - RK Izviđač (BiH), Marko Panić - Chambery Savoie (FRA), Dejan Malinović - US Creteil Handball (FRA), Kristijan Jarak - RK Izviđač (BiH), Benjamin Čičkušić - RK Maglaj (BiH), Muhamed Zulfić - Fillipos (Greece), Vladan Lončar - Granollers (ESP).

The BH coach mainly called upon proven forces, with the most changes compared to the last matches being in the goalkeeper position. Nebojša Grahovac and Mario Blažević were omitted, while alongside the proven Benjamin Burić, Damir Efendić, Adi Ahmetašević and Deni Serdarević were called up.

- We have seen Grahovac and Blažević and know their worth, so, in agreement with them, they have been spared from this activity. Grahovac also has a minor injury, so let him recover and rest a bit. This is an opportunity to check others, to run tests with these three new goalkeepers, to see what they can do. We will use this period to see players who haven't had a chance so far in action, and then with the strongest forces and as prepared as possible, we will welcome May and the matches against Finland - said Bilal Šuman, coach of the BH handball team.

The gathering is planned at the base of the BH senior handball team, at the "Hills" hotel in Ilidža. 

The BH expedition travels to Skopje on January 2. The next day is a match against the host team Macedonia (7 PM), which will be preparing for the World Championship in France.

Against the Macedonians, the BH handball players will play two more closed-type matches in Skopje (January 4 and 5). From Skopje, our team travels to Belgrade on January 7, where two more matches await.

We play against Saudi Arabia on January 8 (7:30 PM), and the next day (11:00 AM) a match against Bahrain awaits us. The BH expedition returns to Sarajevo and the "Hills" hotel on January 9 and will stay together for another seven days, where they will train and analyze what has been done, all with the aim of better preparation for the European Championship qualifiers against Finland, away on May 3 and at home on May 7 next year.

Until the match against Finland, another gathering is planned in April.