SOCCER: Dzeko declares injury a twist of fate as Bosnia seal World Cup place in shootout

Bosnia captain Edin Dzeko watched from the sidelines as his teammates secured a dramatic World Cup qualification, after a last-minute injury forced him out of Tuesday’s penalty shootout against Italy. The 40-year-old striker called the incident “fate.”

The match in Zenica ended 1-1 after extra time, with Bosnia coming from behind against 10-man Italy. Dzeko went down in the dying seconds following a foul by Italy’s Davide Frattesi, leaving him unable to take part in the decisive shootout.

Home fans worried as Bosnia’s all-time top scorer approached the center circle for the coin toss holding an ice pack. In the end, a teammate stepped in to take his place.

“I keep saying it must have been fate, for it to happen in the last second of the match, and then for me not to be able to take a penalty,” Dzeko said during a jubilant press conference on Wednesday. “Someone else stepped up instead of me, scored, and in the end we won. Who knows, maybe if I had taken it, I wouldn't have scored, so it all feels like it comes from above.”

Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj didn’t need to make a single save during the shootout. Italy’s Pio Esposito missed the first spot kick, sending it high over the bar, while Bryan Cristante’s attempt hit the crossbar. Bosnia converted all four of their penalties, with two young players, 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic and 21-year-old Esmir Bajraktarevic, showing remarkable composure under pressure. Their combined age is less than Dzeko’s.

Dzeko, who scored in Bosnia’s only previous World Cup appearance in 2014, joined the celebrations wearing a sling. Despite the injury, he remains optimistic about returning in time for the finals.

“We're all relieved about the arm; it’s not the worst-case scenario,” Dzeko said. “Most likely it won’t need surgery. I hope that in maybe a month to a month and a half, I should be back.”

-Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters