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Haris Tabakovic wants to play against Switzerland.
Keystone
Haris Tabakovic was born and raised in Grenchen, played 15 games for the U21 national team, but now plays for Bosnia. His appearance in the World Cup group stage match against Switzerland is now a race against time.
With his goal to tie the score 1-1 in the playoff final against Italy, Haris Tabakovic paved the way for Bosnia to reach the World Cup in March. Then came the big shock: In the final game of the season, the Gladbach striker on loan—against his parent club Hoffenheim, of all teams—suffered a broken foot. Some media outlets were already reporting that the striker would miss the World Cup.
Tabakovic, however, gave a slight all-clear afterward. The injury was not serious, and he would travel to the World Cup with Bosnia. The 31-year-old missed the final warm-up matches, though. Although Tabakovic was on the roster for the opening match against Canada (1-1), he did not see any playing time.
On Saturday, there was good news for Bosnian fans. Tabakovic was able to train with the team again, raising hopes that he might play against Switzerland on Thursday. A race against time has begun.
For Tabakovic, it would be a very special game. The forward was born and raised in Grenchen in the canton of Solothurn. He turned pro at YB and played for the Swiss youth national teams, including 15 appearances for the U21 national team.
However, Tabakovic waited in vain for a call-up to the senior national team. So in 2023, he decided to play for Bosnia. Now an emotional showdown against Switzerland is on the horizon, provided Tabakovic recovers in time.
Edin Dzeko has recovered in time from his shoulder injury. However, it is far from certain whether the Bosnian star and captain will be in the starting lineup against Switzerland. In both the World Cup warm-up matches and the opener against Canada, the 40-year-old Dzeko sat on the bench for the full 90 minutes.
