Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania meet in Zenica
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
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Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania both have hopes of reaching a first major final tournament and this Zenica qualifier could prove crucial to their chances.
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Two teams with hopes of reaching a first major final tournament meet in Zenica aiming to continue their promising UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying campaigns.
• These sides drew their first-ever competitive senior international 1-1 in Tirana on 8 October. Vedad Ibišević put the visitors in front on 21 minutes but Klodian Duro levelled in first-half added time. The result put Albania top of Group D that evening.
• Since then Albania have lost 2-0 in Belarus but beaten the same team 1-0 at home on 26 March, when Bosnia and Herzegovina were 2-1 winners against a Romania side whom they meet again on 3 June.
• There have been two friendly fixtures between these teams. On 30 November 1995, goals from Anesti Qendro and substitute Enkeleid Dobi gave Albania a 2-0 victory in what 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, where the nations will meet again this time around.
• After this match, Albania travel to Buenos Aires to play Argentina for the first time at Estadio Monumental on 20 June.