Barbarez: Bosnia are Underdogs Against Canada, But We'll Play with Pride; Džeko is Fit

The Bosnia and Herzegovina camp views themselves as underdogs ahead of their opening World Cup Group B match against hosts Canada in Toronto tonight at 10:00 PM. However, head coach Sergej Barbarez is confident that the small Balkan nation's squad will play with pride as they return to the World Cup for the first time in 12 years.

The Bosnians will aim to advance past the group stage this time, after securing one victory but failing to qualify for the knockout rounds in their 2014 debut in Brazil.

"We are a small country. This is only our second World Cup, and we are certainly something of an underdog in many of the upcoming matches," Barbarez stated.

Despite the team ranking 64th globally, the coach is confident in his players' ability to perform well on football's biggest stage.

"If you're aware of our results, I think you simply have to admire what we've achieved," the specialist asserted.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina team secured their World Cup berth after defeating four-time champions Italy in a decisive playoff via a penalty shootout.

"I've said before that I love these David and Goliath matchups. We play with heart, and that is our advantage," Barbarez emphasized.

The Bosnians are led by 40-year-old striker Edin Džeko, whom the coach confirmed would be in the squad for tonight's match after recovering from a shoulder injury. Džeko is the country's all-time leading scorer for the national team with 73 goals. "Edin will be with us tomorrow. Edin will play, as usual," the coach explained.

The coach anticipates a tough match against Canada, who are also striving to reach the knockout stages for the first time, but are under additional pressure to secure their first World Cup victory and play in front of their home crowd.

"Perhaps I'm exaggerating a little, but I'm sure the match will be quite intense – that's characteristic of both teams. We want to give our best in front of the whole world. We want to be a team that earns respect, and we can only achieve that by showing what we can do on the field," Barbarez added.