Leaders Albania take on Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Article summary
Albania are the surprise early pacesetters in Group D after taking four points from their first two fixtures, one more than their visitors to Tirana, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Albania will be hoping they can pull off a repeat of their only previous home encounter against Bosnia and Herzegovina when the countries resume qualifying in UEFA EURO 2012 Group D.
Match background
• Albania's record in two games against Bosnia and Herzegovina reads W1 D1 L0 (W1 D0 L0 at home).
• That sole victory came in the first meeting between the two nations, a friendly on 30 November 1995 in which goals from Anesti Qendro and substitute Enkeleid Dobi gave Albania a 2-0 victory. That was Bosnia and Herzegovina's first official match as an independent nation after affiliating with FIFA.
• The teams crossed paths again for Bosnia and Herzegovina's first home encounter since independence, on 24 April 1996, when they contested a goalless draw at the Bilino Polje stadium in Zenica.
• The nations have not faced each other since, though club outfits from Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina have met in six UEFA club competition fixtures, with the Bosnian teams ending all three of the two-legged ties on top. The record for the Albanian sides in those matches reads W1 D1 L4 (W1 D0 L2 at home).
