A 1,125-mile trek to Kaunas brought the Bosnian diaspora together to celebrate a momentous qualification
Abdulah had been the previous three days’ life and soul but now he stood still, arms outstretched, at the edge of a precarious concrete overhang. He was sprightly to a degree beyond his 70 years but, in any case, instinct had overtaken him. As the full-time whistle blew, and as Bosnia-Herzegovina began to absorb the scale of their achievement, he had vaulted a barrier at the front of this creaking Soviet-era stand’s top tier and wiped away tears before surveying the scene below. “Hajmo Bosno!” (“Go, Bosnia!”), he shouted through the misty air of an evening that would have seemed unremittingly bleak if something this momentous had not just occurred. “We did it!”
Related: My favourite game:
Liverpool v
Arsenal,
Premier League 2004