Football match between Russia, Bosnia postponed
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The mayor of Sarajevo Benjamina Karic threatened to cut ties with the sports organization if it went ahead with the decision to play the match.
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A football stadium in St Petersburg, Russia
A friendly game between the "A" national teams of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Russia scheduled for November 19 in Saint Petersburg has been "postponed for a later date", Bosnia and Herzegovina's football federation (NFSBIH) announced in a statement on Monday.
The federation did not specify the reason why it postponed the match, nor did it specify when it will be rescheduled.
Two months ago, the federation received heavy criticism for announcing it had accepted an offer to play in Russia amid the Ukraine war.
After Bosnian sports officials announced in September that Saravejo accepted to play in Russia, there was an onslaught of criticism for the state by players and fans.
The mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karic, threatened to cut ties with the sports organization if it went ahead with the decision. The move was "discrediting" Bosnia, he underlined.
During the early 1990s, Bosnia was the target of an imperialist-led onslaught that wrought death and destruction on the Bosnian people.
More than 8,000 Bosniak Muslims were slaughtered in mass executions by Bosnian Serb forces.
On March 16, Russia's Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Igor Kalabukhov told FTV broadcaster "If (Bosnia and Herzegovina) decides to be a member of any alliance [referring to NATO], that is an internal matter. Our response is a different matter. Ukraine’s example shows what we expect. Should there be any threat, we will respond."
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