Bosnia’s World Cup pursuit begins at a home-away-from home in the American Midwest

ST. LOUIS, Missouri: Far from its European homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina has zealous fans in the American Midwest as it prepares for its second World Cup.
An estimated 60,000-70,000 Bosnians live in St. Louis, with many arriving in the early 1990s during the Bosnian War and the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Bosnia faces Panama on Saturday in an international friendly at St.

Louis’ Energizer Park and plays World Cup group matches in Toronto (vs. Canada), Los Angeles ( vs. Switzerland) and Seattle (vs.

Qatar).
“We should be able to create an atmosphere like a home match,” said Elvir Kafedžić, a Bosnia-born St. Louisan and an assistant coach for the city’s MLS team, St. Louis City SC.
He was only 9 1-2 when he fled Bosnia in 1992 with his mother and brothers to escape the war.
“Unfortunately, I remember a lot of it,” said Kafedžić, whose story mirrors many who rebuilt in St.

Louis after meandering across Europe.
“We kind of tumbled through some different countries like Montenegro, the Czech Republic, Sweden and wound up in Germany,” Kafedžić explained.
That ended when Germany stopped granting temporary protection to Bosnians in the late 1990s.
“We didn’t have anywhere to go back to in Bosnia. And we already had some relatives living in St. Louis.

So in 1999 we made the move with my mom and two older brothers.”
Bosnia defeated Italy
Bosnia qualified for the World Cup two months ago, defeating four-time World Cup champion Italy 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The deciding penalty was converted by Esmir Bajraktarević, a Bosnian-American from Appleton, Wisconsin.
“That day you could see cars flying Bosnian flags in the streets,” Kafedžić said of the St. Louis scene.