Bosnia and Herzegovina Shine in 3-1 Defeat of Qatar

Bosnia and Herzegovina kept their hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stage alive with a win over Qatar in their final Group B match.

They ended the group stage level on four points with co-hosts Canada, but finished behind them because Canada had the better head-to-head record.

With temperatures reaching 29C in Seattle, Bosnia and Herzegovina started brightly. Ermedin Demirovic and Ivan Sunjic both tested Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada from long range within the opening three minutes, forcing him into good saves.

Their strong start paid off in the 29th minute when 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic skipped past two defenders and fired a powerful right-footed shot from outside the box to put Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead.

The Bosnian fans had more to celebrate six minutes later as captain Edin Dzeko helped create his team's second goal.

Qatar then responded before halftime and pulled one back in the 42nd minute. Captain Hassan Al-Haydos turned in a cross from Edmilson Jr to reduce the gap and give his side hope heading into the break.

Bosnia then stayed solid at the back in the second half and sealed the win in the 80th minute. Substitute Ermin Mahmic scored in his second straight match after reacting quickly to a loose ball inside the Qatar penalty area and finishing past Mahmud Abunada.

The result marked only Bosnia and Herzegovina's second-ever World Cup victory. Their first came in 2014, when they defeated Iran 3-1 during their debut appearance in the tournament.