Argentina is the Problem, Nigeria is the Tipping Point- Bosnia Coach Susic.

Bosnia-Herzegovina coach Safet Susic has singled out their 2014 Fifa World Cup group stage clash with the Super Eagles of Nigeria as the deciding moment of the young European nation’s debut campaign on the biggest stage in world football.

Bosnia finally booked their place in a first major international tournament by automatic qualification last October, after narrowly missing out on South Africa 2010 and UEFA Euro 2012. The nation is fast rising to football stardom with their fast-paced, attack-minded style of flowing football.

The legendary Paris St-Germain attacking midfielder and ex-Yugoslavia international says the ‘Golden Lilies’- just like their Nigerian counterparts- will look to reach the round of 16 in Brazil.

Bosnia Coach Safet Susic.
Bosnia Coach Safet Susic.

“There’s not one coach or team who will go to the World Cup saying ‘we’re going there to see what happens,’” the Zavidovići-born ex-footballer who scored 21 goals in 54 appearances for Yugoslavia told fifa.com in an exclusive interview. “The aim is to get through the first round. That’s what we want to do, but that doesn’t mean we’ll succeed.”

Bosnia, who finished Europe’s qualifying series with the fourth best attack, will face African champions, Nigeria, in their second game of the prelims at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba on June 21, six days after their opening game against group favourites Argentina.

Susic, 58, admits Nigeria would always want to go ahead of his side, banking on experience, but expects nothing short of a game out of the top drawer.

He added: “The problem is our (Bosnia’s) first match against Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

“There’s one huge side who will undoubtedly finish first, Nigeria who always get to the World Cup and Iran who are completely unknown to us but finished top in qualifying so are definitely a good team. What’s certain is that we’ll be playing for qualification in the second match against Nigeria.”