Bosnian Football: How a War Torn Country Let Football Rebuild It's Community

As I research my next article, a cup of tea in one hand and a parker in the other, the horrors and destruction of war really hit home—and although I originally intended for this article to be free of contemplative thought and poignancy, my efforts immediately become futile.

The Bosnian war lasted March 1992 through to November 1995, and was the result of violent and severe clashes between then Bosnia and Herzogovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and Croatia. 

The war claimed over 100,000 lives in which the vast majority were Bosnians, and 1.8 million people were displaced. However, the origins and the many questions that accompany the war are still heavily and widely debated between historians. 

Over a decade has passed since the end of the war and there are still reminders of the horrors and brutality of war as you walk through each city, and the impact it has on so many people—most notoriously, Sarajevo—I implore you to watch Welcome to Sarajevo , as it gives a very small indication on how hard the war was to everyone in the region.

Even today, there are still brief reminders to those who weren't in the war of how bad the war was for these people with the ongoing trial of Radovan Karadzic, who has continuously escaped from justice and prosecution.  The ex-Serb leader is accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and violation of the rules and customs of war. As I read his indictment, I cannot read any further without becoming overwhelmed with anger and emotion.

The further I researched my article, the more involved I become, and as I look up to the heavens, I thank God for keeping my family and I safe. I don't say this often enough, but my goodness, am I fortunate.

As I continue to write, I notice I haven't even touched my tea.  So engrossed have I been with this remarkable country and its story.

Football has helped to rebuild this war torn country. Although there is still racial segregation between ethnic groups in Bosnia, the disparity between them seems to be increasingly getting smaller thanks to the help of the Bosnian National Football side's phenomenal efforts to qualify for the FIFA 2010 World Cup—I say phenomenal only because there isn't a word remarkable enough.  A war torn country of only four million, divided through ethnicity as well as the trivial fact that Bosnia was in complete disarray after their EURO 2008 attempts at qualification.

For those who have not kept themselves up to date with the happenings of World Cup 2010 qualifying, will now find themselves quickly looking up Bosnia's results, and I hope will be pleasantly surprised. 

After being paired with both EURO 2008 Champion Spain as well semi-finalists Turkey, the group may have seemed rather ominous to Bosnians.  However, almost two years after their narrow 1-0 defeat to Spain, Bosnia found themselves within two matches of reaching the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after finishing second place in their group, ahead of Turkey.

However, it is the achievements of two players, both of whom play their trade in Germany, that have caught my attention. One is none other than Edin Dzeko, whilst the other is his accomplice at VFL Wolfsburg, Zvjezdan Misimovic. Between them, the pair has scored 14 goals, helping Bosnia to within the brink of qualification.  Yet it is not this fact that compels me to focus on the two, it is the fact that one is a Bosnian Muslim, whilst the other is a Serb—the two ethnicities that were a major part of the conflict in Bosnia.

After trawling through the Internet for an interview that Dzeko had with a journalist a while back, I finally find it, and it epitomizes how far some of these players have come, which is a credit to both Bosnia and its football.  A small part of the interview with Edin Dzeko:

"Ciro Blazevic has brought this team all together. Whether I am Muslim or Croat or Serb it’s no problem. But for me it was never a problem if somebody was Serb, Croat or Muslim. What is important is whether they are a good man."

Although the divide between ethnicities is still very much at large within Bosnia—the 1-1 draw against Turkey brought about nine stabbings in Herzogovina's largest city, Mostar—the efforts of the players and the coaching staff have put a step in the right direction for Bosnia's future within both the world of football and the rebuilding of both the communities and the country as a whole.

In order to really get an understanding of what securing a place really means to the people of Bosnia, I only have to speak to an old friend: "I finally see smiles on peoples' faces in my home country after many, many years of tears and frustrations. I guess football can be more than just a game." 

In essence, it shows how trivial some of our complaints and toughness in life can be, and shows how football can not only help the rebuilding of war torn countries such as Bosnia, but also help them heal and bring communities together that were once enemies. 

Bosnian hopes of qualification are now over after losing to Portugal 2-0 on aggregate. However, I hope the country's achievements will not be in vain, and they know to use this as a firm stepping stone for reconciliation and peace.