SEATTLE (AP):- Bosnia-Herzegovina eliminated Qatar and boosted its chances of advancing at the World Cup with a 3-1 victory in a Group B match on Wednesday.
With the victory, the third-place finishing Bosnia-Herzegovina is more than likely to advance to the Round of 32 in the expanded field. The eight best third-place finishers across the 12 groups advance.
Should Bosnia-Herzegovina advance to the knockout round, it would mark the first time in national team history at the World Cup. Bosnia-Herzegovina has played in only one other World Cup — 2014 in Brazil.
Kerim Alajbegovic scored in the 29th minute to give Bosnia-Herzegovina a lead it would never relinquish. The 18-year-old Alajbegovic became the eighth-youngest scorer in World Cup history when he powered a shot past Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada at the near post from 20 yards away.
Bosnia-Herzegovina tacked on a second goal in the 34th minute when Sead Kolasinac launched a cross to the back post. A volley to the middle by Edin Dzeko deflected off Qatar’s Sultan Al-Brake for an own goal.
Hassan Al Haydos kept Qatar, which did not win a game in the tournament, competitive with a goal in the 42nd minute. But in the second half, Bosnia-Herzegovina once again went up by two goals when Ermin Mahmic, who scored in a 4-1 loss to Switzerland, tallied another in the 80th minute.