Head coach Sergej Barbarez commented on the match against North Macedonia: “It was a typical friendly match. We wanted to try out a lot of things. I understand the players, a few of them are coming back from injuries and aren't at the level they need to be. We had three debutants and some players were playing alongside the teammate next to them for the first time. I'm sorry about Osman Hadžikić's injury, he was supposed to play the second half. It doesn't look good, he grabbed his hamstring, but he'll undergo scans tomorrow and we'll know more. I warned the players not to underestimate the atmosphere. As nice as it can be, it can also go in opposite direction. We trained harder this week, and we kept out some players, such as captain Džeko and Šunjić. There's huge euphoria in the country, that's what we wanted, but it can be difficult for some players. They're still very young for things like this, but we're trying through experience to explain some things and prepare them for everything waiting for them in the coming days. Of course, people should enjoy it. We deliberately chose to spend these first seven days in Sarajevo, to give our fans a little more joy.”

Nidal Čelik made his debut in the Dragons jersey tonight: “A debut at my favorite stadium. I'm proud to have become a member of this national team and I hope this is only the first of many matches wearing the Bosnia and Herzegovina colors. The result wasn't what we wanted, but we saw where we need to improve. Before departing for the USA, we'll do an analysis, both of the good things and the ones that need to be improved.”

Samed Baždar had several good scoring opportunities in the first half, but the nets stayed untouched: “I had two chances, but... We controlled the game from the start, had better possession and chances that unfortunately we didn't convert. Hopefully things will be right at the World Cup. From the very beginning, the plan was to split the minutes. Panama awaits us, certainly a good opponent, and we need to adapt to the weather and time zone difference in the USA. We approach every match with maximum commitment, whether it's a friendly or a competitive one. Thanks to the fans for their support. It's an incredible feeling for me and my teammates. I hope we'll continue celebrating together from match to match in the future.”