PREVIEW | Cup Final against Borac

We did not manage to defend the championship title, but on Thursday we will have the opportunity to defend the title of winner in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup.

For the second season in a row, Zrinjski has secured a place in the final of this competition, where we face the new champions FK Borac. After the first ninety minutes of this two-legged tie, we hold a 1-0 advantage from Mostar.

In its third final, Zrinjski will seek its third title in the Cup, having previously defeated Sloboda (2008) and Velež (2022) in the finals.

On the other hand, Borac has reached the final three times (2004, 2010, 2021), but only won in the 2009/2010 season when they triumphed over Željezničar in two matches.

The current double crown holder reached the final without conceding a goal, with victories against Čelik (6:0), Slavija (3:0), Jedinstvo (1:0, 2:0), and Sloga (0:0, 3:0), while Borac eliminated Radnik from Hadžići (1:0), Zvijezda 09 (2:0), Sarajevo (0:0, 3:0), and Široki Brijeg (3:1, 2:1) on their way to the final.

Zrinjski enters the second leg of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup final with ten consecutive league victories. The Plemići’s undefeated league streak began right after a home defeat to Borac (0:1) in the 22nd round, while Borac recorded seven wins, two draws, and one loss in the last ten league matches.

In the current season, we have played four matches against the team from Banja Luka. The first match in the 11th round in Banja Luka ended without goals (0:0), Borac won 1:0 in Mostar in the 22nd round with a goal from David Vuković, while the derby in the 24th round in Banja Luka went to Zrinjski with a 2:1 victory thanks to goals from Tarik Ramić and Tomislav Kiš.

To recap, the first leg of the final was decided by a goal from Mario Ćuže.

These two opponents have played a total of 47 official matches, with Zrinjski recording more victories (24–16). In the Cup competition, they have faced each other four times. The Nobles were more successful in the 2002/2003 season (quarter-finals – 0:1, 2:0), 2013/2014 season (round of 16 – 4:0, 1:1), and 2016/2017 season (round of 32 – 5:0). Borac advanced only in the 2006/2007 season (round of 32 – 2:3).

The main referee for the match will be Irfan Peljto, who has officiated 42 of our matches in his career. In the current season, he has been appointed to our matches eight times, officiating our victories against Tuzla City (4:2), Sarajevo (2:0), Velež (1:0), and Posušje (1:0), our away draws against Borac (0:0) in the league and Sloga (0:0) in the Cup, as well as our losses to Velež (0:3) and Borac (0:1).

His assistants will be Senad Ibrišimbegović (Travnik) and Arnel Novalić (Doboj Istok).