Jovo Lukic made light of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s injury issues to put the underdogs ahead against World Cup 2026 co-hosts Canada and score the first goal in Group B at Toronto’s BMO Field.
Playing because of injuries to Edin Dzeko and Haris Tabakovic, Lukic, who plays for Romanian side Universitatea Cluj, met former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac’s flick from Ivan Basic’s corner to score his first international goal with the 21st-minute opener.
“It’s a really smart set piece,” former England left-back Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport. “The flick-on at the front post [comes from] a difficult ball to play into that front area – it’s got to be so precise.
“Bosnia have got to smell blood after that; they’ve got to sense that there’s an opportunity here to go after Canada.”
We’ve reached peak Canadiana here at the March to the Match and arrived at Princes’ Gate near the stadium.
A man wearing a cowboy hat, fur coat, carrying a Tim Hortons whips everyone into a frenzy as they finish singing O Canada.
It’s 25 C and brilliantly sunny. pic.twitter.com/Tv8jZLN3nt
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) June 12, 2026
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: ‘Got to be more quality’
Ranked 26 places above their opponents at 35th in FIFA’s standings, Canada started brightly but are now on course to extend their dire record at the World Cup finals to defeats in all seven matches in which they have featured.
“You just get a feeling now that Jesse Marsch has to get more belief into his team, to believe that they can get at this Bosnia back line,” Warnock said of Canada’s head coach.
“He needs to sort them out for set pieces, that’s very clear. But the other side of it is there’s got to be more quality at the top end of the pitch.
“We’ve seen it a couple of times when they’ve got in behind, but that quality final ball just hasn’t been right.”
The goal arrived shortly before the first-half drinks break, with Sergej Barbarez’s team showing why they came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Italy before knocking the four-time champions out on penalties in the play-offs.
THE VIBES IN TORONTO RIGHT NOW 🇨🇦⚽️🇨🇦⚽️ pic.twitter.com/pzzMtjsYEa
— Made In Canada (@MadelnCanada) June 12, 2026
World Cup 2026: Canada team vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canada made one change in attack from their 1-1 draw with Ireland in Montreal on June 6, Tani Oluwaseyi supplanting Cyle Larin.
Captain Alphonso Davies was out with a hamstring strain and centre-back Moise Bombito was not ready to start following a broken leg but midfielder Ismael Kone recovered after missing training with a fever on Wednesday.
Forward Jayden Nelson replaced Marcelo Flores in the squad after the winger suffered a serious knee injury.
Canada starting XI: Maxime Crepeau, Alistair Johnston, Luc De Fougerolles, Derek Cornelius, Richie Laryea, Tajon Buchanan, Ismael Kone, Stephen Eustaquio, Liam Millar, Jonathan David, Tani Oluwaseyi
Canada substitutes: Dayne St. Clair, Alfie Jones, Joel Waterman, Mathieu Choiniere, Cyle Larin, Jacob Shaffelburg, Moise Bombito, Owen Goodman, Alphonso Davies, Ali Ahmed, Jonathan Osorio, Niko Sigur, Promise David, Nathan Saliba, Jayden Nelson
World Cup 2026: Bosnia and Herzegovina team vs Canada
Bosnia and Herzegovina changed a winger from their 1-1 draw with Panama in St Louis six days earlier, Kerim Alajbegovic moving to the bench and Amar Memic coming in.
Tabakovic was recovering from an ankle injury and on the bench, as were Dzeko after missing training with a shoulder issue and midfielder Ivan Sunjic, who had been a doubt.
Bosnia and Herzegovina starting XI: Nikola Vasilj, Amar Dedic, Nikola Katic, Tarik Muharemovic, Sead Kolasinac, Esmir Bajraktarevic, Ivan Basic, Benjamin Tahirovic, Amar Memic, Ermedin Demirovic, Jovo Lukic
Bosnia and Herzegovina substitutes: Mladen Jurkas, Nihad Mujakic, Dennis Hadzikadunic, Armin Gigovic, Samed Bazdar, Edin Dzeko, Ivan Sunjic, Amir Hadziahmetovic, Dzenis Burnic, Kerim Alajbegovic, Stjepan Radeljic, Martin Zlomislic, Haris Tabakovic, Arjan Malic, Ermin Mahmic
Where to watch Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: TV channel, live online stream
Kick-off on Friday was at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT). In the UK, live coverage is on BBC One.
Fans can stream the action on a vast range of devices through the BBC iPlayer app and BBC Sport website.
World Cup 2026: Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina stats
- Canada are unbeaten in their past eight games (W5 D3) – all friendlies – since a 1-0 home defeat to Australia in October 2025
- They have lost one of their last 28 games in Toronto (W18 D9) and are aiming to avoid becoming the second host nation in history to lose their opening World Cup match, after Qatar in 2022
- Defender Joel Waterman was also part of Canada’s squad at the finals in 2022 but did not make an appearance
- With 39 goals in 77 appearances, Juventus forward Jonathan David is Canada’s record scorer
- Larin is their second-top all-time marksman of all time with 30 goals in 90 matches, although the Southampton forward has not added to that tally since netting in a friendly against Panama in Toronto in October 2024
- Bosnia and Herzegovina scored in all 10 of their qualifiers and are also unbeaten in eight matches (W2 D6, including friendlies) since a 2-1 home defeat to Austria in September 2025
- This is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first competitive match against CONCACAF opposition and they had drawn each of their last five games against all opposition (including friendlies)
- Dzeko could become the second-oldest outfield player ever to feature at the finals, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who was 42 years and 39 days of age at the 1994 finals in the USA
- The former Manchester City targetman is his country’s 143-cap all-time leading appearance-maker and 73-goal record scorer, netting six times during qualifying
- Barbaraz did not win any of his first eight matches in charge but guided his side through their first successful play-off campaign for a major tournament at the sixth attempt
