They set off fireworks after eleven minutes in Zenica. Eleven, for the number on his back, and nobody in the ground needed it explained to them. Edin Dzeko played his 152nd and last match for Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday, a 1-1 draw with Sweden, and the country made sure the evening belonged to him rather than to the result.
He nearly wrote the ending himself. Late in the first half the 40-year-old put the ball in the net, only for the goal to be ruled out because it had gone out of play in the build-up. Football does not always cooperate.
Sixty-two minutes, then the noise
Dzeko came off after 62 minutes to a standing ovation that took a while to settle. The celebrations carried on well past the final whistle: an official ceremony, a guard of honour, a drone show spelling out messages of thanks above the stadium, and a lap of honour during which supporters threw soft toys onto the pitch. A giant shirt was unveiled in Sarajevo to mark the retirement.
Seventy-three goals in 152 appearances is the bare record. It undersells what he meant to a football nation that did not exist as an independent team until the 1990s and which, for most of his career, had one forward other countries actually had to plan for.
The match itself
Sweden went ahead through Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres, and Kerim Alajbegovic levelled for the hosts. A draw suited the occasion more than it suited either campaign, though it is hard to imagine anyone in Zenica going home annoyed about a dropped point.
Elsewhere in the Nations League
Kevin de Bruyne, 35 now and at Napoli, scored in each half as Belgium beat Turkey 3-0 and climbed to second in Group A1, with Romelu Lukaku adding the third. In Budapest, Liverpool defender Milos Kerkez got the only goal as Hungary beat Georgia for their first win of this Nations League campaign, which lifts them to third in Group B2, three points behind leaders Northern Ireland.
Match facts: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-1 Sweden in Zenica. Gyokeres for Sweden, Alajbegovic for the hosts. Edin Dzeko, 40, retired from international football after his 152nd cap, having scored 73 goals for his country. He was substituted on 62 minutes. Elsewhere: Belgium 3-0 Turkey (De Bruyne 2, Lukaku); Hungary 1-0 Georgia (Kerkez).
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