Maple Leafs out to make a statement
Canada will look to make a statement in the opening Group B match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as they face Bosnia and Herzegovina at the MBO Field in Toronto on Friday night (12 June), kick-off at 9pm CAT.
FORM
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Canada have warmed up for the World Cup with a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan and a 1-1 draw with Ireland since the start of June.
Stephen Eustaquio opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs against the Irish, only for Chiedozie Ogbene to level the game – a warning for the co-hosts that they need to sustain a high-level of concentration to compete at this level.
And they have been dealt a blow in that regard, as Alphonso Davies – arguably their only world-class player – will miss at least this opening match due to a hamstring injury.
The Maple Leafs will make their third World Cup appearance and are looking to register a first positive result, having lost all six of their group stage matches across their two previous appearances in 1986 and 2022.
Bosnia and Herzegovina – who famously ousted Italy in the European playoffs back in March – have warmed up for the World Cup with draws against North Macedonia (0-0) and Panama (1-1) on May 29 and June 6 respectively.
Zmajevi (The Dragons) will be appearing at their second World Cup as an independent nation, after 2014 and 2022. They exited in the group stage at both of those tournaments.
WHAT THE TEAMS ARE SAYING
Canada coach Jesse Marsch on what they need to compete at the highest level: “I think that the players understand that our ability to concentrate on the game itself is going to dictate how well we do in the tournament."
Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez on the importance of their draw with Panama: “The match showed a lot. We played against an opponent who wants to play, who opens the game and is not based on long shots. We had certain problems with long balls, but we know the reason – we stand high and when you have players who know how to punish it, it is normal for such situations to happen. We have to think about who we are, what we are and how we got here. Nothing was given to us, but we achieved everything with effort and will.”
HEAD-TO-HEAD
In head-to-head terms, this will be the first meeting of Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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