In the final match of the round of 16 in the BiH Cup, Borac secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Čelik from Zenica, a team competing in the First League of the Federation of BiH.
The home team took the lead in the 44th minute when Sebastián Herrera converted a penalty. The penalty was awarded after a Čelik player handled the ball in the box, and following a VAR review, referee Elvedin Topuzović from Tuzla pointed to the penalty spot. Herrera’s initial attempt was saved by goalkeeper Adi Durmo, but the VAR room intervened again, ruling that Durmo had left his line too early, leading to a retake. The Colombian with a North Macedonian passport made no mistake the second time, giving Borac the advantage.
In the 77th minute, Čelik was reduced to ten men after Faris Kadrić received a direct red card for a reckless challenge on Luka Zorić, again following VAR intervention.
Borac doubled their lead in the 85th minute when substitute Stefan Marčetić beat Durmo, who had otherwise had a strong performance. The final goal of the match came in stoppage time (90+2), with young Pavle Đajić sealing a 3-0 win.
Before the match, Borac’s sporting director Oliver Jandrić presented captain Srđan Grahovac with a framed jersey to commemorate his 200th appearance for the club. Grahovac reached this milestone on December 19, 2023, in a match against Cypriot side Omonia, where Borac secured qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference League round of 32. Their next challenge is a first-leg clash against Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana on Thursday, February 13, at 9 PM in Banja Luka.
Other round of 16 results:
- Kruševo (Mostar) – Zvijezda Gradačac 2:0 (Vranjić 6, Medić 83)
- Široki Brijeg – GOŠK (Gabela) 1:0 (I. Pranjić)
- Famos (Istočna Ilidža) – Posušje 0:0 (Famos won 4-2 on penalties)
- Velež (Mostar) – Radnik (Bijeljina) 2:1 (Halilović 45+1, Mlinarić 64 – Krajišnik 68, pen.)
- Željezničar (Sarajevo) – Vareš 6:0 (Cvetanoski 22, Šošić 27, 38, 78, Krpić 44, 70)
- Igman (Konjic) – Zrinjski (Mostar) 0:1 (J. Pranjić 20)
- Sarajevo – Sloga (Doboj) 3:1 (Bubanja 17, Gulijashvili 27, 55 – Veselinović 31)
Quarterfinal matchups:
The quarterfinals will be played over two legs, scheduled for February 26 and March 12. The matchups are:
- Široki Brijeg vs. Radnik
- Sarajevo vs. Zrinjski
- Famos vs. Borac
- Kruševo vs. Željezničar
Source: Glas Srpske
