Honours even in historic tie

KOCHI: In a special match with political undertones, Yugoslavia and Bosnia playing for the first time against each other, produced a performance worthy of the historic occasion at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi here on Sunday. The 1-1 result at the end, probably, proved to be fair on both sides. The match turned out to be as enthralling as it should be, in the process lifting the profile of the tournament. The drama featured a world class goal from the Bosnians and a late equaliser by the Yugoslavs and two missed penalties. However, the hero of the match was Bosnia''s goalkeeper Guso Adnan. It was a Guso show all the way on Sunday evening. Showing unflappable composure in times of crisis, flawless anticipation and lightning quick reflexes, Guso stood like a wall between his goal and the Yugoslav raiders, who entranced the Kochi crowd with their mesmeric ball skills and superb passing. Summing up aptly, Guso''s performance was the Yugoslavia coach Ilija Petkovic, "His role was unbelievable tonight and if he was not in the goal there would have been many goals tonight." On the other hand, the Bosnians in a gallant display rose as a team to negate the vastly superior all-round firepower of their neighbour country. An indicator of the Bosnian players zeal being the high number of bookings they earned, three, in the first 45 minutes itself. Bosnia, certainly starting underdogs, could not have believed their luck when in the fifth minute referee Abdul Hamid pointed to the penalty spot after Yugoslav central defender, Dusan Petkovic tripped Hota Almedin of Bosnia inside the box. But the pressure of the occasion seemed to get to the Bosnia skipper Muharemovic as he wide from the spot. The close shave seemed to wake up the Yugoslavians from their slumber and what followed was mayhem as the blue shirts swarmed all over the Bosnian half. Thereafter it turned into a battle between Guso and the Yugoslvia frontline, with the custodian coming up with answers in even the most impossible situations. The Guso show started in the 12th minute. A Dusan free-kick from right had skipper Sasa Ilic connect a free-header but Guso came up with an out of the world save from point blank range and striker Dejan Osmanovic hit the rebound straight into the goalkeeper. A Dusan free-kick hit with power and precision to the left was brilliantly blocked and gathered. Ilic Sasa, following a lovely through by play-maker Igor Duljaj, shook off his marker with a sudden turn but again Guso dived to his left and collected. The only Bosnian attack for the remainder of the half was at the half hour, when following a fast breakaway, Hota fired a good ball in front of the Yugoslavia defence but touch eluded the desperate forward dive of Seferovic Sead. The battle continued into the second session, starting with an amazing save to deny Vladmir Ivic in the 55th minute. Couple of minutes earlier, Igor Duljaj had produced a dazzling run from his own half and split open the Bosnian defence by using Ilic Sasa as a wall twice, but hit wide with the goalkeeper at his mercy. With all their efforts to score having failed, Yugsolavia came up with the only option remaining -- a penalty -- awarded to them when Nedic Dalibor brought down Vladimir at the edge of the box. But, Guso had an answer in this situation too, flying to his right to block skipper Sasa Ilic''s try. And as a furious coach Ilija Petkovic, said in the post match conference, "It is the law of the game, the side which misses as many as eight hundred per cent chances should be banished." Yugoslavia looked banished in the 76th minute, when Bosnia substitute Beslija Mirsad stunned them with a truly world class strike. Controlling Seferovic''s pass on his thigh, an unmarked Beslija Mirsad let fly a scorching angular volley to blast the far corner of net. With the fear of backlash at home, Yugoslavia looked rattled and suddenly the penetration was not their in their attack as Bosnia defended with new vigour. However two minutes from time, help for Yugoslavia came from the most unexpected quarters as Nedic Dalibor who had all evening defended the Bosnia citadel as if dear life hinged on it, was caught by the power off a Dusan Petkovic free-kick and the deflection ended Guso''s resistance.