Bosnia and Herzegovina target first finals

Eliminated from the 2010 FIFA World Cup play-offs by Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina will be looking to make UEFA EURO 2012 their first major international tournament finals when they begin their Group D bid in Luxembourg.

Team news
• For his first competitive match in charge of Luxembourg, and the fixture in Albania four days later, coach Luc Holtz is without injured captain Jeff Strasser.

• Luxembourg squad
 Goalkeeper: Jonathan Joubert (F91 Dudelange), Marc Oberweis (AS Jeunesse Esch)
 Defenders: Massimo Martino (FC RM Hamm Benfica), Guy Blaise (Royal Excelsior Virton), Ante Bukvić (FC Differdange 03), Eric Hoffmann (AS Jeunesse Esch), Kim Kintziger (FC Differdange 03), Kevin Malget (TSV Alemannia Aachen), Tom Schnell (Racing FC Union Lëtzebuerg)
 Midfielders: René Peters (AS Jeunesse Esch), Mario Mutsch (FC Metz), Gilles Bettmer (FC Differdange 03), Ben Payal (F91 Dudelange), Lars Gerson (Kongsvinger IL), Matthias Jänisch (FC Differdange 03), Tom Laterza (CS Sedan Ardennes), Joël Pedro (CS Sedan Ardennes)
 Forwards: Daniel Alves da Mota (F91 Dudelange), Stefano Bensi (F91 Dudelange), Dan Collette (AS Jeunesse Esch), Joël Kitenge (CS Fola Esch), Naby Twimumu (FC Swift Hesper)

• Safet Sušić has brought a burst of new talent into the Bosnia squad in the form of Under-21 internationals Ognjen Vranješ, Ibrahim Šehić and Goran Bunoza, while the more experienced midfielders Mensur Mujdža and Senad Lulić will also have a chance to win their first caps.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina squad
Goalkeepers: Kenan Hasagić (İstanbul BB SK), Asmir Begović (Stoke City FC), Ibrahim Šehić (FK Željezničar)
Defenders: Emir Spahić (Montpellier Hérault SC), Mensur Mujdža (SC Freiburg), Ognjen Vranješ (FC Sheriff), Safet Nadarević (Eskişehirspor), Boris Pandža (KV Mechelen), Sanel Jahić (AEK Athens FC), Adnan Mravac (KVC Westerlo), Gordan Bunoza (Wisła Kraków)
Midfielders: Elvir Rahimić (PFC CSKA Moskva), Miralem Pjanić (Olympique Lyonnais), Zvjezdan Misimović (Galatasaray AŞ), Haris Medunjanin (Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC), Senad Lulić (BSC Young Boys), Senijad Ibričić (HNK Hajduk Split), Semir Štilić (KKS Lech Poznań)
Forwards: Edin Džeko (VfL Wolfsburg), Vedad Ibišević (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim), Zlatan Muslimović (PAOK FC), Ermin Zec (Gençlerbirliği SK)

Match background
• Luxembourg's record in three games against Bosnia and Herzegovina reads W0 D0 L3 (W0 D0 L2 at home).

• The two rivals' only previous competitive encounters came in qualifying for UEFA EURO 2004. Blaž Slišković's men won 2-0 in Zenica in their first meeting on 29 March 2003, when goals from Elvir Bolić and Sergej Barbarez sealed maximum points.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina then prevailed 1-0 in the return leg on 10 September the same year, with Barbarez scoring the only goal.

• The sides' most recent meeting was a 31 March 2004 friendly at the Josy Barthel stadium in Luxembourg, which the visitors won 2-1.

• Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina also met in qualifying for next summer's UEFA European Under-21 Championship; Luxembourg won 1-0 away but lost the home fixture by the same margin this March.