ST. LOUIS – Edin Dzeko scored twice in Bosnia-Herzegovina's 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Friday night, giving the country's raucous fans plenty to cheer about in the run-up to its first World Cup appearance.
Bosnia made its second appearance in six months in St. Louis, where it's estimated more than 30,000 Bosnians relocated from the former war-torn Yugoslavia. Argentina shut out the national team in November across downtown at Busch Stadium.
Long-time Ivory Coast standout Didier Drogba scored on a free kick in the 91st minute. Drogba, 36, did not start but had another good scoring chance after entering in the second half.
The attendance was 14,101, less than half the turnout for the Argentina match and more than 50,000 shy of capacity at the Edward Jones Dome while the Cardinals-Giants game was sold out. Fans concentrated behind the net defended by Bosnia in the first half did their best to make up for the low numbers, chanting and singing songs to an incessant drum beat.
Fans hurled numerous smoke bombs and some flares, too, in the vicinity of Ivory Coast goalkeeper Sylvain Gbouhouo in the second half. Gbouhouo tossed them aside when he had the chance while clouds accompanied by an acrid odor hung over the pitch.
Dzeko, a striker for Manchester City and Bosnia's top offensive threat, scored 10 of the country's 30 goals in World Cup qualifying.
Dzeko had an empty net in the 17th minute after an Ivory Coast defender blocked a shot by Zvjezdan Misimovic. He corralled a hard pass from Miralem Pjanic in the 53rd minute and scored just inside the left post.
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