Bosnia & Herzegovina vs San Marino

Bosnia-Herzegovina Look to Extend Lead Against Struggling San Marino

Bosnia-Herzegovina will look to strengthen their grip on Group H when they host San Marino on Saturday in a crucial World Cup qualifier.

Fresh off back-to-back wins in March—a hard-fought victory in Romania followed by a confident display against Cyprus at home—the Dragons sit atop the group. But with only the top team guaranteed automatic qualification, they can’t afford to slip up.

This campaign marks Bosnia’s latest bid to return to the World Cup stage after their lone appearance in 2014. While they currently lead Romania, Austria—who were busy with UEFA Nations League playoffs earlier this year—now enter the mix, adding extra pressure to every match.

Head coach Sergej Barbarez, who endured a rocky start with six losses in his first eight games, has steadied the ship. Now, his side must capitalize on a favorable schedule: back-to-back meetings with San Marino, bookending a midweek friendly against Slovenia.

Bosnia have happy memories from their only previous clashes with San Marino—a 6-1 aggregate win in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. Another dominant performance is expected in Zenica, especially with goal difference potentially decisive in a tight group.

San Marino’s Uphill Battle

For San Marino, the dream of a first-ever World Cup remains distant. They opened their campaign with a 2-1 loss to Cyprus and a 5-0 thrashing by Romania—a harsh reality check after last year’s historic UEFA Nations League triumphs, which included their first competitive wins.

Despite their underdog status, Roberto Cevoli’s side still have a mathematical chance at a playoff spot through the Nations League backdoor. But their immediate focus will be avoiding another winless qualifying cycle—a fate they’ve suffered in their last five campaigns.

With no competitive victory in 164 World Cup or Euro qualifiers—and their last draw dating back to 2013 against Estonia—San Marino face a daunting task in Bosnia. Anything other than a heavy defeat would be a surprise.