Sergej Barbarez named a 23-man squad for Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Sweden on Tuesday night, and the headline change was Edin Džeko’s return to the team at Bilino Polje. Džeko is back to say goodbye to the jersey of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and he also took back the number 11 from Jove Lukić for the match.
The selection matters because the game was set for 20:45, with Bosnia and Herzegovina facing Sweden in a fixture already drawing attention around the squad list. The match was also due to be shown on BHT 1 and MY TV, which put the team news in front of a wider audience than a routine lineup update would usually get.
Barbarez counted on Jurkas, Mujakić, Malić, Muharemović, Kolašinac, Smajlović, Omerović, Gigović, Lukić, Demirović, Džeko, Hamzić, Bašić, Šunjić, Memic, Mahmić, Đurić, Katic, Alajbegović, Bajraktarević, Radeljić, Zlomislić, and Tabaković. That list also shows how the shirt numbers shifted from the last duel against Romania: Luka Đurić wore number 9 there, while tonight Jove Lukić borrowed that number and Luka Đurić wore 17; Ajdin Hasić had worn 17 in Romania as well.
The harder edge of the selection came in who was not included. Ajdin Hasić was one of three footballers sitting in the stands of Bilino Polje today, while Benjamin Tahirović and Samed Baždar were left out of the 23-man roster altogether. That is the cut that gives this squad its shape: Džeko returns for a farewell appearance, and Barbarez still had to leave three names behind to get down to the number he wanted.
For Bosnia and Herzegovina, the immediate consequence is simple. The team went into a 20:45 kickoff with a fixed 23-man group, a returning captain figure in Džeko, and a reshuffled set of shirts that marked the difference between tonight and the Romania match. The farewell at Bilino Polje is part of the story; the squad Barbarez chose is the part that will decide what the night looks like next.
