SEATTLE — Bosnia-Herzegovina eliminated Qatar and boosted their chances of advancing at the World Cup with a 3-1 victory in a Group B match on Wednesday.
With the victory, third-place Bosnia-Herzegovina are more than likely to advance to the round of 32 in the expanded field — and their likely opponent would be one of the tournaments co-hosts in the United States.
The eight best third-place finishers across the 12 groups advance.
Should Bosnia-Herzegovina advance to the knockout round, it would mark the first time in their national team history after only playing in one other World Cup in 2014 in Brazil.
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Kerim Alajbegovic scored in the 29th minute to give Bosnia-Herzegovina, whose only other World Cup appearance came in Brazil in 2014, a lead it would never relinquish. The 18-year-old Alajbegovic became the eighth-youngest scorer in World Cup history — and youngest-ever for his country — when he powered a shot past Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada at the near post from 20 yards away.
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Bosnia-Herzegovina tacked on a second goal in the 34th minute when Sead Kolasinac launched a cross to the back post. A volley to the middle by Edin Dzeko deflected off Qatar’s Sultan Al-Brake for an own goal.
Hassan Al Haydos kept Qatar, who did not win a game in the tournament, competitive with a goal in the 42nd minute.
But in the second half, Bosnia-Herzegovina once again went up by two goals when Ermin Mahmic, who scored in a 4-1 loss to Switzerland, tallied another in the 80th minute.
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Earlier on Wednesday, Qatar’s Assim Madibo was given a five-match ban on for the tackle that broke the leg of Canada midfielder Ismaël Koné in their matchup on June 18.
Canada lost to Switzerland in the other Group A matchup Wednesday, meaning the co-hosts finish second in the standings and will have to travel to the U.S. for their round of 32 game.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
