Barbarez Restará a Džeko en Panamá - Bosnia Y Herzegovina
Bosnia y Herzegovina will use panamá - bosnia y herzegovina in St. Louis as one of its last tests before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Edin Džeko is likely to miss out. Sergej Barbarez wants the friendly to sharpen his team for June 12, when it opens Group B against Canada.
Barbarez plans for Panama
The Bosnia y Herzegovina coach said the meeting with Panama is a useful exam because it comes against a non-European opponent with a different style. He also pointed to the matchup as a way to see how his side reacts before the World Cup begins.
"Queríamos jugar contra un rival que no fuera europeo. Es importante conocer otras mentalidades, otros estilos y ver cómo podemos responder ante equipos con características diferentes" — Sergej Barbarez.
"Estos partidos son importantes porque nos muestran escenarios que normalmente no encontramos en Europa. Queremos ver cómo reacciona el equipo ante otra forma de competir" — Sergej Barbarez.
Džeko stays out
Džeko, who is 40 years old, will not travel into the Panama squad as Bosnia and Herzegovina protects him for Canada on June 12. Barbarez said the captain has some discomfort from a recent injury, so the staff decided to rest him rather than push him in St. Louis.
"Lo más probable es que no esté en la convocatoria. Tiene algunas molestias y decidimos darle descanso para que pueda enfocarse en el partido contra Canadá" — Sergej Barbarez.
That leaves Bosnia and Herzegovina without its most recognizable forward for a friendly that sits inside the final stretch of World Cup preparation. Ivan Šunjić is still recovering, though Barbarez expects him back soon in collective training.
St. Louis turnout
The setting adds weight to the match. More than 70,000 Bosnians live in the St. Louis metropolitan area, and tickets for Saturday’s game have been sold out for weeks, giving Bosnia and Herzegovina a heavily focused crowd for a last live run before Group B begins.
Barbarez said he knows Panama coach Thomas Christiansen from their time facing each other in the Bundesliga, and he welcomed the chance to see a different opponent across from his team. "Jugué contra él hace mucho tiempo. Era un muy buen delantero. Me alegra volver a verlo y poder recordar viejos tiempos" — Sergej Barbarez.
The friendly now serves two purposes at once: Bosnia and Herzegovina gets a non-European test in front of a large expatriate crowd, and the staff can keep Džeko fresh for the opening match against Canada. For a squad heading toward its World Cup debut, Saturday is less about the result than about whether the plan holds without its captain on the field.
