A week after Bosnia and Herzegovina secured a place in the FIFA World Cup with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Italy, a 14-year-old ball boy, Afan Cizmic, has stolen the limelight in the Balkan nation. He was among the dozens of ball boys deployed at the Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica for the UEFA playoff final on March 31, when Bosnia hosted the four-time champions for a spot in the 2026 World Cup.
Cizmic now stands out as an unlikely hero after hiding Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s penalty shootout notes just before the spot kicks were taken. Positioned on the sidelines, he noticed Donnarumma reading from a piece of paper tucked behind a towel, realized it contained information on Bosnian penalty takers, and took the note, running away from the goal. During the shootout, Donnarumma failed to save any of the four penalties he faced, and his teammates missed three, handing Bosnia a place in the global tournament. While the impact of Cizmic’s trick on the final scoreline remains uncertain, he is being hailed as a hero in Bosnia.
In an interview with Turkish news agency Anadolu, Cizmic recalled the moment he saw the paper: “I saw where he left the paper and that he was reading from it. I thought about whether I should take it or not. Then I said, ‘Whatever happens, happens,’ and I took it.” Donnarumma did not see Cizmic walk away but was left fuming when he could not find the paper, attempting to snatch his opposite number’s notes in a tit-for-tat move. Cizmic believes Donnarumma’s frustration confirmed his ploy had an effect on the game.
In the hours and days after Bosnia’s win, Cizmic’s act sparked social media debates and national news coverage. He dismissed criticism, stating that any fan would have done the same: “If we were playing in Italy, someone would have done it to our goalkeeper, Nikola Vasilj, too.” The now-famous ball boy proudly carries the note, enclosed in a plastic cover, as memorabilia and takes it along for media appearances, announcing plans to auction it with all proceeds going to charity.
Cizmic, a youth footballer with local club Celik Zenica, dreams of wearing the Bosnian national team jersey one day. His father, Emir Cizmic, expressed pride in his son, emphasizing that ball boys are not just spectators but can influence the rhythm and outcome of matches. This incident has added a memorable chapter to Bosnia’s football history.
Source: www.aljazeera.com