Dedić's message after the Swiss blow: BiH must change its face against Qatar and attack from the first minute
Amar Dedić sent a clear message after Bosnia and Herzegovina's heavy defeat to Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup, emphasizing that ahead of the final round of the group, the national team can no longer wait for events to unfold but must take the initiative. On June 18 at Los Angeles Stadium, BiH lost to Switzerland 4:1, although the first half ended without goals, and according to the report of the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the match was decided in the closing phase, after the Swiss lead and Tarik Muharemović's red card. After a new training session in Salt Lake City, Dedić spoke openly about the need for a different approach against Qatar, the opponent BiH faces on June 24 in Seattle. His message fits into the broader tone from the national-team camp: the defeat to Switzerland is not the end of the tournament, but the room for calculations has become very narrow. In such a context, every player's statement carries additional weight, especially when it comes from a footballer who, in the match itself against Switzerland, was among those trying to change the rhythm of the game.
Dedić said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is now entering a match in which, at least according to expectations within the national team, it is the favorite on paper, but that such a status must be confirmed through concrete play. “Now we have a match in which we are favorites on paper. I expect a different game and a different approach. We must be a team that will create chances,” was his key message after the Swiss defeat. According to the NS/FS BiH announcement, Dedić additionally pointed out that against Switzerland “it could have been better”, that too much space was left to the opponent and that after the red card it became significantly harder to maintain control over the match. In the same statement, he emphasized that BiH now knows it needs a victory against Qatar and that it must attack from the first minute and show the desire to progress to the next round of the competition. Such a tone does not sound only like an attempt to raise confidence after the defeat, but also like a public demand for a braver, more active and more offensive game.
A defeat that became heavy only in the final stretch
According to the official report of the NS/FS BiH, the match between Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina did not look for a long time like a meeting that would end with a convincing margin. The first half passed in cautious play by both national teams, with a somewhat more pronounced Swiss initiative, but without a goal. Dan Ndoye threatened in the early phase, Remo Freuler tried from distance, while BiH was most dangerous in situations in which Edin Džeko looked for teammates in the penalty area or attempted a shot from the edge of the box. The teams went into the break at 0:0, which left the impression that BiH was tactically sticking to the plan and that the match could go in the direction of one mistake, a set piece or an individual move. That is exactly what eventually happened, but in Switzerland's favor.
FIFA highlighted Johan Manzambi in its report as the key man of the match, and the official match data record that the Swiss midfielder scored two goals. Switzerland took the lead in the 74th minute when Manzambi reacted to a rebound and beat Nikola Vasilj. Just a few minutes later, BiH was left with one player fewer because Tarik Muharemović, as the last defender, stopped Breel Embolo, which changed the balance of power on the pitch. Ruben Vargas increased the advantage in the 84th minute, Manzambi scored his second goal in the closing stages, and Ermin Mahmić then reduced the score to 3:1 in stoppage time with his first goal in the national-team shirt. The final 4:1 was set by Granit Xhaka from the penalty spot after Amar Memić's foul on Djibril Sow, giving the result proportions that, from a Bosnian-Herzegovinian perspective, additionally complicated the picture of the group.
Džeko and Barbarez had already warned about the same problem
Dedić's message did not come in a vacuum. Head coach Sergej Barbarez, after the match, according to the NS/FS BiH announcement, assessed that the final result was too high and did not fully reflect what had happened during the greater part of the encounter. Barbarez singled out Switzerland's first goal and the red card in particular as details that “completely changed the course of the match”, adding that there would be no surrender and that the national team had to prepare for Qatar. His statement was an attempt to prevent a complete psychological collapse after a final stretch in which BiH conceded four goals in a short period. At the same time, the head coach clearly admitted that mistakes in matches at this level are too costly and must be corrected already in the next appearance.
Captain Edin Džeko spoke even more directly about the final twenty minutes or so. According to the Association's announcement, Džeko said that BiH did not endure the finish, that the goals were conceded naively and that in a competition like this no ball may be underestimated. He particularly emphasized that after 1:0 and the red card, the national team had to think about how not to concede another goal, because goal difference can be important in the fight to progress. Džeko's message thus directly connects with Dedić's: against Qatar, what is required is not only an emotional reaction, but also more mature control of the match, better risk assessment and greater efficiency in moments when the encounter is being decided. For a national team that relies on a combination of experience and younger players, precisely that balance can be decisive.
Group B leaves a possibility, but not much certainty
After two rounds of Group B, according to the table published by the NS/FS BiH, Canada has four points and a goal difference of +6, Switzerland also has four points and a goal difference of +3, Bosnia and Herzegovina has one point with a goal difference of -3, and Qatar has one point with a goal difference of -6. Before the defeat to Switzerland, BiH drew 1:1 with Canada in Toronto, while Switzerland shared the points with Qatar in the first round. This means that the final round brings two directly connected matches: Switzerland plays against Canada, and Bosnia and Herzegovina against Qatar. A victory over Qatar for BiH would mean a jump to four points, but the final position will also depend on the outcome of the other match, as well as on goal difference and the other ranking criteria. In practice, that is why the national-team camp speaks of victory as a necessary goal, not merely as a desirable scenario.
The broader format of the 2026 World Cup further complicates the calculation. For this edition, FIFA introduced a tournament with 48 national teams, arranged in 12 groups of four teams, with the two best teams from each group and the eight best third-placed national teams advancing to the round of 32. Because of this, third place does not automatically mean elimination, but neither does it guarantee progression, especially if a team finishes the group with a poor goal difference. The 4:1 defeat against Switzerland therefore burdens BiH not only in terms of points, but also statistically. Džeko's warning that goal difference can decide matters is especially important precisely in this system, because national teams that finish third are compared with third-placed teams from the other groups.
Dedić is asking for chance creation, not only a reaction to the result
The most important part of Dedić's message concerns the play, not only the result. When he says that BiH must be a team that creates chances, he is actually opening the question of the national team's identity in a match in which simply waiting for the opponent's mistake will not be enough. Against Switzerland, BiH had several periods of stability, but according to the Association's official report, in the key attacking moments it did not manage often enough to turn arrivals into the final third into big chances. Dedić's attempt in the 68th minute, saved by Gregor Kobel, was one of the few direct shots that could have changed the tone of the match before the Swiss lead. After that, the encounter went in a completely different direction, which further emphasizes how important it will be against Qatar to make use of the early phases of the match.
The match against Qatar therefore carries a different kind of pressure from the meeting with Switzerland. When a team enters a duel as an outsider or an equal opponent, it does not necessarily have to carry the burden of possession and initiative from the start. When, as Dedić says, it is the favorite on paper, expectations change: a clearer attacking plan is demanded, a greater number of players in the final third, better connection between the midfield and attack, and quicker decision-making in the final third of the pitch. This does not mean that defensive risk may be ignored, especially after the experience with Swiss counterattacks and late pressure. But the message from the national-team camp suggests that passivity is no longer an option.
Support from the Association and an attempt to stabilize the atmosphere
According to the NS/FS BiH announcement, Association president Vico Zeljković was with the national-team players at training in Salt Lake City and provided support to the coaching staff and players ahead of the upcoming challenges at the World Cup. Such a gesture does not change the table in sporting terms, but it has an important communication function after a defeat that could have opened space for internal tension and external criticism. When the score is heavy and the next match is decisive, the national-team camp must quickly close the discussion about what cannot be changed and direct its energy toward preparation. In that atmosphere, Dedić's statement is simultaneously self-critical and mobilizing: it is acknowledged that things could have been better against Switzerland, but it is emphasized that the team still has a path toward the continuation of the competition.
Samed Baždar, who also addressed the media according to the Association's announcement, said that regret remains because of the defeat to Switzerland and that until the 75th minute the match could have turned in BiH's favor. He added that at such a high level even one mistake can cost a team dearly, and he described Switzerland as a very good national team that knew how to take advantage of what was offered. Baždar also emphasized that all thoughts must now be directed toward Qatar, the “most important match” ahead of the national team at the World Cup. That statement confirms that in the dressing room the defeat is viewed not only through the final 4:1, but also through the question of how the match slipped out of control after a relatively balanced period.
What BiH must change against Qatar
From everything Dedić, Džeko, Barbarez and Baždar said after the match, several clear demands can be singled out for the final round. The first is greater concentration in phases when the opponent increases pressure, because BiH stayed in the match for a long time against Switzerland, but after the first goal and the sending-off it lost its structure too quickly. The second is better risk management: if the team has to attack, it must not leave too much space behind the ball, especially against an opponent that can punish transitions. The third is efficiency in attack, because Dedić explicitly emphasized chance creation as an obligation, not as a desirable upgrade. The fourth is emotional stability, because a decisive match at the World Cup often rewards not only quality, but also the team's ability to stay within the plan even after the first problem.
Qatar also enters the final round with one point, so the encounter in Seattle will not be one-sided just because BiH sees itself as the favorite on paper. Precisely for that reason, Dedić's statement can also be read as a warning that favorite status means nothing without concrete intensity from the first minute. A national team that wants to progress from the group must show that it has learned the lesson from Los Angeles: it must not leave the opponent too much space, it must not lose its balance after one blow, and it must produce situations earlier from which a goal can be scored. In the new World Cup format, hope can last longer than before, but only if it is accompanied by a result. For Bosnia and Herzegovina, that now means a simple sporting equation: against Qatar it must show the kind of play that will turn Dedić's words into proof on the pitch.
Sources:
- Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina – announcement from training in Salt Lake City and statements by Amar Dedić and Samed Baždar ahead of the match with Qatar (link)
- Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina – statements by Sergej Barbarez and Edin Džeko after the defeat to Switzerland (link)
- Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina – official match report Switzerland – Bosnia and Herzegovina 4:1 in Group B (link)
- FIFA – official report and highlighted data from the Switzerland – Bosnia and Herzegovina match at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – official match centre for Switzerland – Bosnia and Herzegovina with the result, venue and statistical data (link)
- FIFA – explanation of the 2026 World Cup format with 48 national teams, 12 groups and qualification of the best third-placed teams (link)