The Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup is an open competition, initiated and directly managed by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Association. Theoretically, teams from all levels can participate.
Mostar Wanderers, as a second-tier team, naturally qualified.
Due to the unlimited nature of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup, they faced a strong Premier League team, Mostar Zrinjski, in the first round.
Mostar Zrinjski is a major club in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with departments for football, basketball, and handball. However, the football club attracts the most attention.
Compared to their glory days in the 1950s, Mostar Zrinjski suffered setbacks after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. In recent years, they have been overshadowed by Sarajevo FC since the formation of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Premier League.
Now, in the sixth season of the Premier League, Zrinjski's best result has been second place; they have yet to win a title.
In the 2001–2002 season, they hired Dutch coach Fania van Stiak, who brought a brand-new tactical philosophy to the team.
Van Stiak is an admirer of Dutch Total Football. To implement his ideas, he made a series of tactical changes and roster adjustments, building a new team around Croatian talent Modrić.
But while the ideals were ambitious, the reality was harsh.
Van Stiak's tactics faced repeated setbacks. Last season, Mostar Zrinjski recorded their worst finish ever — 5th place in the league.
Many fans were disappointed, but the club continued to trust Van Stiak, believing he simply needed more time.
The club's patience gave Van Stiak a much-needed buffer, but even so, he constantly felt the pressure.
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The day of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup match arrived.
At Mostar Zrinjski's home ground — Bijeli Brijeg Stadium — the facilities were much better than at the Wanderers' Ranch Stadium. Though the turf was still poor compared to the top five European leagues, to Suk and his teammates, it was far superior.
"This is the first round of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup, with Mostar Zrinjski playing against the second-division team from the same city, Mostar Wanderers. This match also marks the start of the new season. Last season…"
The commentator's voice echoed through the stadium speakers as fans sang in unison, creating a passionate atmosphere.
The Zrinjski fans were neat and well-trained, unlike the ragtag group supporting Wanderers. To Suk, his team's fans looked wide-eyed and clueless.
And it wasn't just the fans. The Wanderers' players seemed overwhelmed too.
Under the noisy cheers, many players looked terrified. Some even wore their socks inside out and sweated nervously. Cameras zoomed in on them, making their smiles stiff and awkward.
"Stupid!"
Suk shook his head. These guys' mental strength was too weak. How could they dream of playing in the Premier League like this?
In contrast, their bald goalkeeper, Bakic, was calm.
He pulled on his jersey, fastened his gloves, and clenched his fists.
"Suk, take a few shots at me. I need to find my form!"
Suk immediately agreed, and the two of them went to the pitch.
Suk fired two warm-up shots — not powerful, not tricky. Bakic easily saved them.
Throwing the ball back, Bakic said, "Kick it harder. I'll save it!"
Suk adjusted his position, struck the ball harder toward the left.
Bakic launched himself sideways and caught the ball cleanly.
"Nice!"
Suk cheered.
Since their win against Leotar, Bakic had been in excellent form, fumbling less and pulling off some impressive saves. His steady presence boosted the Wanderers' confidence.
At that moment, Mostar Zrinjski's players entered the field for their warm-up.
Wow!!!
The stadium erupted in cheers.
Zrinjski's players stood in formation, warming up with sharp discipline.
Their neat uniforms, muscular builds, and confident demeanor made a strong impression — and this was just the substitutes.
Indeed, Mostar Zrinjski had fielded an all-substitute lineup. They weren't willing to risk their starting players against a lower-league team. Yet even their second team was a tough challenge for Mostar Wanderers.
Among the substitutes, Suk spotted Modrić, who nodded at him in greeting.
Next to Modrić sat a tall player — brown curly hair, high nose bridge, standing about 190 cm.
This was Kosopeci, Mostar Zrinjski's top scorer and high center forward.
Out of Zrinjski's 18-man squad, only a few main players had been included; the rest were substitutes.
Clearly, Zrinjski believed they could win comfortably.
Starting Lineups:
Mostar Zrinjski (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Pakovic
Defenders: Stelke, Moliaqi, Pokaci, Rovisteqi
Midfielders: Banja Faqi, Periaqi, Baton
Forwards: Boame, Bastelov, Ben. Meis
Mostar Wanderers (4-5-1):
Goalkeeper: Bakic
Defenders: Krtic, Rotensmach, Kobaro, Rosen
Midfielders: Vitolic, Baster, Mlinar, Kostoreqi, Masloziqi
Forward: Suk
"Mostar Zrinjski is playing all substitutes. Clearly, coach Van Stiak doesn't consider this match important."
"And here we have Mostar Wanderers making their first appearance. They're known as a fiercely attacking team in the second division — or technically the first division now. Their striker, Suk, shares the same name as Croatian legend Davor Šuker. Suk is only 16 years old... and only 150 centimeters tall?"
The commentator's voice was full of doubt.
The stadium audience picked up on it, and many fans stared at Suk, surprised by his tiny stature.
In the Bosnia and Herzegovina league, even someone slim like Modrić looked small — but Suk was even smaller.
"Bastard! It's 155 centimeters! I've grown!"
Suk clenched his fists and shouted toward the commentary box, but his voice didn't carry. He could only grumble and turn away.
Meanwhile, Zrinjski's players also glanced curiously at the tiny center forward.
Off the field, Van Stiak, standing in the technical area, also watched Suk closely, remembering their meeting at the bar — when Suk had approached him boldly, trying to recommend himself.
At the time, Van Stiak found it amusing but forgot it quickly. He hadn't thought such a tiny kid could compete in the Premier League.
Yet now, he couldn't help feeling curious.
---
The captains met at the center circle for the coin toss.
Soon, both sides took their positions.
Mostar Zrinjski kicked off first.
From the sidelines, coach Orić shouted non-stop, emphasizing tight defense.
He had worked hard preparing for this match. Hearing that Zrinjski would play with substitutes, Orić had adjusted the tactics, studying the substitutes' characteristics in detail.
Thanks to this, Wanderers knew a lot about their opponents, while Zrinjski's substitutes knew little about Wanderers.
Their absent-minded attitude was obvious — they didn't even glance at Suk and the others properly.
This disdain angered Suk.
"I'll show you something awesome later!"
He swore silently.
The referee blew his whistle, and the match officially began.
As soon as the ball was kicked, Suk sprinted forward, pressing high.
The Zrinjski players weren't worried. After all, it was just one player — it wouldn't disrupt their passing rhythm.
The ball moved across the field as Zrinjski started to attack down the wings.