Latest news with #Bosnians
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Northern Ireland's job 'certainly not done'
Nations League Group B1: Bosnia & Herzegovina v Northern Ireland Venue: FF BH Football Training Centre, Zenica Date: Tuesday, 3 June Kick-off: 18:00 BST Coverage: Watch live on BBC iPlayer and follow live text commentary & in-play clips on the BBC Sport website Advertisement Manager Tanya Oxtoby says her Northern Ireland side know the "job's certainly not done" in the Nations League. Northern Ireland travel to Bosnia-Herzegovina knowing a win or draw would secure a promotion play-off with a League A side. However, a defeat would open up a number of permutations with the Bosnians just three points behind Oxtoby's side in Group B1. NI have won all three meetings with Bosnia-Herzegovina in the past year, including a dramatic 3-2 win in the reverse Nations League fixture in February. "We by no means expect to just turn up here and the result be ours," said Oxtoby. Advertisement "We need to make sure that we are fully focused and that we go 100mph after it." Oxtoby admitted it had been a "tough campaign" and a promotion play-off against a League A side would be a good reward for the work they have put in. "From a playing group point of view and a staff point of view, I'd just be so happy for them because it's been a really, really tough window this window,. "It's also been a tough campaign, and that reward for all the effort that everyone's put in for me be the most pleasing thing." After the defeat on Friday, when Poland punished the hosts in a ruthless first half, Oxtoby says her youthful squad will be "right up for it" in Zenica. Advertisement "We know what Bosnia possess in terms of threats and we know what we're looking to do too. "We can only concentrate on on ourselves, try to execute what we're going after and focus on the performance to give ourselves every opportunity to get the result. "The ball is in our court, we know that we're in a really good position where we can affect our own destiny. "That's what we wanted going into this game."
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NI need to 'bounce back' in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Nations League Group B1: Bosnia & Herzegovina v Northern Ireland Venue: FF BH Football Training Centre, Zenica Date: Tuesday, 3 June Kick-off: 18:00 BST Coverage: Watch live on BBC iPlayer and follow live text commentary & in-play clips on the BBC Sport website Advertisement Captain Simone Magill expects Northern Ireland to "bounce back" in Tuesday's crucial Nations League game in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Her side's hopes of automatic qualification to League A were ended in Friday's 4-0 loss at home to Poland. However, Tanya Oxtoby's side are still in a strong position to secure a promotion play-off in Zenica. A win or draw would secure second place and a play-off spot, however a defeat would open up a number of permutations as NI and Bosnia-Herzegovina would be level on points. "We've spoken about learning as a group and we are finding ourselves in positions where we are learning," Magill said. Advertisement "This is a really good opportunity to finish the campaign strong. "We spoke at the start of this campaign about our aim and that's still very much in our control. "If we can go and get the result we want then that's been a success for us." Magill scored two late goals as Northern Ireland defeated the Bosnians 3-2 in the reverse fixture in February. Selver Hodzic's side were also beaten twice in Euro 2025 qualifying last year, and Magill said her youthful side have to "use those moments" to "carry us through". "No game at this level is easy, especially away from home. We've faced Bosnia quite a few times and we've had positive outcomes. Advertisement "It would be a special feeling [to secure a promotion play-off]. "We want to be in the mix again for major tournaments, and getting promotion to League A would start to get us back in the mix and get us closer to being back where we want to be." Head here to get involved
Spectator
27-05-2025
- Spectator
The shadow of communism still looms over the Balkans
Our Serbian guide Zoran is a jovial fellow and as we rumble through the streets of Belgrade in our minibus he regales us with a joke about the difference between the various nationalities of the former Yugoslavia, all now with countries of their own. 'We Serbs are rude,' he says, 'but the Croatians are self-centred, the Bosnians are thick, the Montenegrins are lazy and the Macedonians are just Serbs with a speech defect. As for the Slovenians, they are so polite they must be gay!' Joking about each other is a definite improvement on fighting each other, as per so much of their history. The countries on my Balkan tour – Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria – have been struggling for more than three decades with their post-communist problems. But they do like a laugh. The Serb capital Belgrade sits at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube.
Belfast Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Northern Ireland Women dealt injury blow as midfield star pulls out ahead of key double-header
The midfielder has picked up a hamstring injury that has ruled her out for the clashes at home to Poland and away to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nottingham Forest Women defender Nat Johnson has been called up to replace the 26-year-old Scofield, who has been a regular in Oxtoby's starting line-up since switching allegiance and making her debut for Northern Ireland in 2024. The London-born midfielder has just completed a loan spell at Sheffield United Women in the FA Women's Championship from London City Lionesses, while she also previously plied her trade for Leicester City Women in the Women's Super League. Scofield's withdrawal is unwelcome news for Oxtoby with Northern Ireland facing Poland at Seaview on Friday, May 30 (7.00pm) before travelling to Zenica to take on Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, June 3 (6.00pm BST) in two crucial Nations League B, Group 1 encounters. With Northern Ireland sitting second in the group with seven points from four games as they stare into the final two games of the League, the first clash sees them lock horns with unbeaten League leaders Poland, who have 10 points, before tackling the third-placed Bosnians who are perched on four points. Their current position would be good enough for a Promotion Play-Off to get into League A, however failing to beat Poland would rule out their chances of automatic promotion courtesy of their inferior head-to-head record. Similarly, they are at risk of falling into a Relegation Play-Off. Bettering third-placed Bosnia's result against winless Romania on Matchday Five would eliminate that possibility and confirm Northern Ireland's League B survival, however any other outcome would ensure their fate goes right down to the final day.
Arab News
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
A Thousand and One festival amplifies the Kingdom's music scene
RIYADH: Crowds from across the world flocked to attend A Thousand and One, MDLBEAST's new festival concept, where global musicians like DJ Snake and R3hab have come to Saudi Arabia to perform. The dance music festival is equipped with four stages — Sahaab, Bustan, Qafilah, and Qasr — each designed with their own sub-theme under the main concept, inspired by the timeless folktale. 'I think (the theme) is really smart. It's a good way to attract Saudi people as well as the expats,' Irma Saric from Bosnia told Arab News. She came to the festival alongside her friend, Ifeta Selimovic. The two Bosnians have been living in Saudi Arabia for several years and were excited to see a DJ from their home country, Salvatore Ganacci, on stage. 'What attracted me the most is the diversity in techno music and how there's a mix of culture, but yet it's so modern here … The music scene in Saudi is amazing. I love everything about it. I love the diversity the most. I love how they're also trying to mix Arabic music with modern beats,' Saric told Arab News. Selimovic is a regular attendee of MDLBEAST's events, including its flagship Soundstorm festival, and was excited to see DJ Snake and Turkish DJ Mahmut Orhan alongside Ganacci. 'I love the DJs a lot, the atmosphere, how they made this whole concert and everything. And I love, also, 'her' zone, because it's only us girls gathering and having fun … You are in your own world. You are just focusing on the music, and that's it, and it's not too crowded,' she told Arab News. Located in Banban, where Soundstorm's underground section took place, the four stages have transformed into magical, folkloric sets. The Qasr stage is inspired by a sultan's palace with Arabian architecture, where electronic and experimental sounds take over; the Qafilah stage echoed the spirit of camel caravans and Saudi Arabia's rich trading heritage, with tech house and melodic beats; the Bustan stage is a lush, immersive garden experience inspired by the ancient 'Kalila Wa Dimna' tales, featuring a diverse mix of genres; while the Sahaab stage was inspired by Aladdin's flying carpet. The festival also features the Bizarre Bazaar, a reimagined Middle Eastern souq where music, food, art, and culture collide. 'These kinds of festivals only happen, like, every three months, so I love to come and dance and have fun,' Saudi attendee Fares Alkudsi, who came especially for DJ Snake, said. 'The music scene has been good here ever since, but before 2019 there was not much attention to it, so now they're giving a lot of attention to the youth, they're giving a lot of attention to the artists that we love, so it's a good thing for us.' William Shakkour, from Syria but born and raised in Saudi Arabia, decided to attend the festival on a whim, and said it reminded him of the first edition of Soundstorm. 'It was basic, simple, and fantastic, so I think in the next versions, it (A Thousand and One) will be better than this one,' he told Arab News. 'Saudi Arabia has become an icon for music festivals, for the Red Sea Festival, for cinemas, for everything. I think in the near future, it will be the icon of the Middle East in different ways, like cinema, music festivals, and all the other things (in) entertainment,' he said. Vinyl Mode has been a part of the underground music scene for two decades, where many local DJs convened for the love of music, and he has since performed on countless stages during his career. On Thursday, he closed off the Sahaab stage with his house music set. 'I am excited because it's a very new concept. We are used to the massive production at the end of the year, and I have been always thinking, 'well, you know, what if we do something mid-year,' and it's happening, but with style,' he told Arab News. 'What makes it special is that it's a new moment, a new feeling, a new experience.' Hyped-up Saudi crowds have become a testament to the strength and growth of the music landscape in the region. 'The people (are) loving the music, the people getting more, learning more, being more educated. So I believe we are very lucky to be a part of this movement,' he said.
