Hosts Canada managed to pull off a 1-1 draw against Bosnia in their FIFA World Cup Group B opener. Bosnia took the lead in the 21st minute thanks to João Lukić, but substitute Cyle Larin came to the rescue for Canada, scoring the equaliser in the 79th minute.
TORONTO: The home crowd breathed a sigh of relief as hosts Canada scraped a 1-1 draw against Bosnia in their first FIFA World Cup Group B match. Substitute Cyle Larin was the hero for Canada, scoring the crucial equaliser in the 79th minute. Earlier, João Lukić had put Bosnia ahead with a goal in the 21st minute.
Bosnia came out all guns blazing right from the start. While Canada held on to the ball with 54% possession, they just couldn’t find the back of the net. Bosnia, on the other hand, made their chance count. A corner kick from Sead Kolašinac was headed towards the goal, and João Lukić was right there to head it in. It was a clinical finish, as Bosnia converted the only corner they got in the first half.
The second half saw both teams fighting hard. Canada had a couple of good chances after the 50-minute mark but failed to score. The game-changer came in the 76th minute when Cyle Larin replaced Tani Oluwaseyi. Just two minutes on the pitch, and Larin found the goal that secured a much-needed draw for Canada.
Bosnia’s journey to this World Cup was quite dramatic. They broke Italian hearts across the world by knocking out the giants in a penalty shootout during the European play-offs. This marks Bosnia’s return to football’s biggest stage after a long gap of 12 years. And it’s not just any comeback; their best performance in the tournament’s history was a win against Iran in the 2014 World Cup.
Canada has previously played in the 1986 and 2022 World Cups. In the six matches they’ve played across both tournaments, they are yet to register a win. However, fans will remember their spirited performance against Belgium in the group stage of the last World Cup, which earned them a lot of praise.