Bosnia and Herzegovina ended their World Cup group campaign with a vital 3-1 victory over Qatar, boosting their qualification hopes.
The European side dominated early proceedings, with teenager Kerim Alajbegović producing a stunning strike to open the scoring.
Bosnia doubled their advantage after Qatar conceded an own goal, before Mahmić added another goal.
Qatar captain Hassan Al-Haydos scored a consolation goal, but Bosnia remained composed under late pressure.
Bosnia captain Edin Džeko marked his 150th international appearance by helping guide his team through a crucial encounter.
Coach Sergej Barbarez praised his players’ determination after the victory, saying they showed “great character and attacking belief”.
Meanwhile, Switzerland defeated Canada 2-1 in a decisive Group B encounter to claim top position.
The Swiss side recovered strongly after earlier mixed results and secured another important tournament victory.
Canada entered the match confident after their historic 6-0 victory over Qatar, their first World Cup win.
However, Switzerland’s experience proved decisive as they controlled key moments and punished defensive mistakes.
The results confirmed Switzerland and Canada’s strong Group B campaigns, while Bosnia strengthened their knockout stage chances.
Qatar exited the competition after a difficult campaign, despite showing resilience in their final match.
Swiss coach highlighted the team’s focus, saying, “we believed in our quality until the final whistle”.
Canada’s players also received praise for their spirited tournament display despite falling short against Switzerland.
The final Group B matches delivered drama, goals and significant movement in the qualification race.
