New faces for Bosnia

Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Blaz Sliskovic included former under-21 forward Ivan Jolic of Hapoel Tel Aviv in his 19-player squad for the August 16 friendly against World Cup runners-up France in Sarajevo.

Uncapped Parma forward Zlatan Muslimovic and Sarajevo defender Vule Trivunovic, both of whom missed a trip to Iran and South Korea in May through injury, are also set to make their debuts.

Missing from the list are Hearts midfielder Mirsad Beslija, who has played little club football since January when he joined the Scottish side for their record fee, and 34-year-old striker and national team's all-time top scorer Elvir Bolic.

Sliskovic has earlier said that Bolic, who scored five times in three games since his close season move to Rijeka from Istanbulspor, remains an option for Euro 2008 qualifiers but that he did not need to test him in friendlies.

"Our goal is clear: We want to qualify for the European championship and we practically start against France," Sliskovic told reporters.

We will go for a good result but we can't afford slip-ups because we don't have the luxury to play against the second-best team in the world every day," Sliskovic said.

Bosnia and Herzegovina surprised France two years ago in Rennes when they came from behind to draw 1-1.

Sliskovic said he would field two different formations in each half of the game, playing with a lone striker in the first and with two strikers in the second.

"This is how we are going to play against Malta and Hungary in our first two qualification games," the coach added.

European champions Greece, Turkey, Norway and Moldova are the other teams in Group C.

It will be the charismatic 47-year-old coach's third attempt to take Bosnia to their first major tournament after narrowly failing to do so for Euro 2004 and this year's World Cup.

Long-time defensive stalwart Muhamed Konjic, who ended his playing career after an injury-plagued two-year stint with Derby County, will make a short appearance against France to bid farewell to the national side.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Kenan Hasagic (Gazientepspor), Almir Tolja (Batery Sabat Tehran)

Defenders: Dzemal Berberovic (Litex Lovech), Emir Spahic (Lokomotiv Moscow), Sasa Papac (Austria Vienna), Vule Trivunovic (Sarajevo), Ninoslav Milenkovic (Germinal Beerschot)

Midfielders: Vedin Music (Torino), Zlatan Bajramovic (Schalke 04), Vladan Grujic (Litex Lovech), Ivica Grlic (Duisburg), Hasan Salihamidzic (Bayern Munich), Sergej Barbarez (Bayer Leverkusen), Mladen Bartolovic (Hajduk Split), Admir Vladavic (Zeljeznicar Sarajevo)

Forwards: Zvjezdan Misimovic (Bochum), Zlatan Muslimovic (Parma), Mirko Hrgovic (Hajduk Split), Ivan Jolic (Hapoel Tel Aviv).

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