Bosnia just widened its hunt for future star soccer players for its upstart national team, turning this weekend to the United States, where sons of war refugees have emerged as promising talent.
Bosnian coaches are in Denver holding a three-day recruiting camp that is drawing 140 players, ages 9 to 21, from cities nationwide who traveled with their families and high hopes.
“It’s my dream to play for that team,” said Irfan Krndzija, 16, of Chicago, an attacker with a strong head and shot.
His father, Nihad, 45, served as a police officer in Sarajevo and was wounded in Bosnia’s war, losing his leg. Now running Bosnia-oriented radio and television shows from Chicago’s north side, Nihad said he’s been fielding calls from refugees as far as Australia about the tryouts with visiting national team coaches in Denver.
“We have really good kids who could play for a national team, either in Bosnia or the U.S.,” he said. “This is our country now too.”
Bosnia’s foray signals a growing awareness of U.S. youth soccer’s competitiveness. Players born here with roots abroad long have infused U.S. club, college, pro and national teams. Foreign coaches increasingly tap 16- and 17-year-olds interested in opportunities with European clubs.
Bosnia (population 3.8 million) bucked odds by qualifying for the World Cup last year in Brazil. After an early elimination, coaches ramped up recruiting to include families of refugees who fled Bosnia’s ethnic cleansing in the mid-1990s. An estimated 500,000 refugees settled in U.S. cities, including Denver.
Soccer has gripped many refugees’ sons, said Nedzad Dervisevic, a Chicago-based coach.
“This is our first camp in the United States. These camps are going to help a lot to find more talent for Bosnia,” Dervisevic said. “The Bosnian kids growing up here are able to practice a lot on good fields, and I believe they can be very good soccer players and help our national team.”
The camp includes two days of workouts at in Broomfield and games all day Monday at at Thornton High, with the top players facing off in the afternoon. One of the team’s current stars, striker Vedad Ibisevic, grew up partly in St. Louis. One of the aspiring stars, 9-year-old midfielder Senaj Sani, lives in Commerce City.
Three trips to Bosnia to meet relatives hooked him on soccer, said Meliha Sabanovic, 39, his mother, who fled from near Banja Luka in 1994.
“He does have potential. As soon as he comes home, he does his homework and then he is in the backyard. All my flowers are damaged. Always wearing cleats, practicing,” she said. “As a refugee, when I came here, I didn’t even speak English. I worked my way up. And to see our kids growing and playing soccer, it is great.”
Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700, bfinley@denverpost.com or twitter.com/finleybruce
