Penalty drama sees Bosnians progress with Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina won a deciding penalty shoot-out on the final day againist Azerbaijan to take UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying round Group 10's second place behind section hosts Belgium.

Full results and standings

• An added-time goal by substitute Mirza Mustafić gave Bosnia and Herzegovina an opening 1-0 win against Switzerland.
• Switzerland had dominated possession but their opponents held firm and scored when Ermedin Demirović launched a counterattack.
• Belgium overcame Azerbaijan 3-0, Dennis Van Vaerenbergh showing his physical strength by heading in two corners.
• With the score at 1-0, Vaerenbergh was fouled for a 50th-minute penalty converted by Ismail Azzaoui.
• Two days later Belgium saw off Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1, set on their way by first-half goals from Matthias Verreth and Chistophe Janssens.
• Ajdin Mujagić pulled one back but Lennerd Daneels's solo effort made it 3-1 and Verreth clinched it.
• Switzerland then lost 2-1 to Azerbaijan, confirming the 2002 champions' exit and Belgium's progress as group winners.
• Switzerland were again on top from the start and finally broke the deadlock on 22 minutes through Haris Samardzic.
• However, six minutes later Nijat Suleymanov exploited a mistake in the Swiss defence to equalise.
• With 11 minutes left Gara Garayev ran on to a Khayal Amirli clearance and brilliantly clinched victory for Azerbaijan.

• On the final day Switzerland earned a consolation win as Jeremy Guillemenot scored the only goal against the Belgian group winners. 
• Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina were dead level ahead of their decider, meaning the 1-1 draw resulted in the second place being decided by a penalty shoot-out.
• After a failure each, Amirli missed Azerbaijan's final spot kick and Ermedin Demirović scored to seal second spot.  
• Azerbaijan remain in a strong position to go through as one of the five third-placed teams with the best record against the leading pair in their group.

Reaction:
Bob Browaeys, Belgium coach
Qualifying for the elite round was our goal and we made it, plus we qualified with the Under-19s too. I think it is great for the Belgian youth football and it is good promotion.

I am proud of my players' performance, they had a good attitude. Sometimes it was difficult, Bosnia were recovering at 2-1 but we reacted very well and I think that we deserved to beat them. We are proud to have such a team.

Sakib Malkocević, Bosnia and Herzegovina coach
We are happy because we qualified for the elite round. The last match with Azerbaijan was the best game that we played this week. In this group Belgium and Switzerland were favourites but we beat Switzerland.

The boys are really young and you can see it after that we scored our first goal tonight, the boys thought that we had already made it. We must study more to make our level improve. 

Through to elite round
Group 1: Scotland, Republic of Ireland
Group 2: Poland, Georgia
Group 3: Italy, Iceland
Group 4: France, England (holders)
Group 5: Sweden, Greece
Group 6: Portugal, Slovenia
Group 7: Croatia, Hungary
Group 8: Netherlands, Serbia
Group 9: Austria, Norway
Group 10: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group 11: Spain, Slovakia
Group 12: Czech Republic, Romania
Group 13: Russia, Belarus
Bye: Germany
TBC: 5 best third-placed teams (Friday)

Draw: 10.40CET, 3 December, involving 32 sides, of which 15 will join Bulgaria in the finals.