Now or never for Katić and Bosnia on the road to the World Cup

Decisive games for Katić

There’s a lot on the line for Nikola Katić this international break. Schalke’s centre-half is set to battle it out with Bosnia as the national team dreams of securing their place at the 2026 World Cup. Head coach Sergej Barbarez’s side are preparing to host Group H rivals Romania on Saturday (15/11) for a 20:45 CET kick-off, before they travel to Austria on Tuesday (18/11) for a potential qualification decider, with kick-off scheduled for the same timeslot.

Currently, Bosnia sit second place in the group, two points behind table toppers Austria. A runners-up finish would send the nation to a play-off tournament in March 2026 and earn them another shot at World Cup qualification. Only the group winners guarantee their spot at the final competition in Canada, Mexico and the USA next summer. The reverse fixture against Austria ended in a 2-1 defeat for Katić and co. in Zenica. The result represents Bosnia and Herzegovina’s only loss in qualifying so far.

Ayhan called up for Türkiye U21

Mertcan Ayhan has been named in the squad for Türkiye U21 this break, with the team looking forward to a pair of EUROs qualifying fixtures over the next fortnight. Friday night (14/11) will see the side put to task by Ukraine, with the affair set to begin at 18:00 CET in Istanbul. The following Tuesday (18/11), the Royal Blue centre-half and his national teammates will travel to Lithuania for a 17:00 CET kick-off in Druskininkai. Having taken five points from three games so far, the Türkiye youth team currently lead the pack in qualifying Group H.

Becker and Sylla remain in Gelsenkirchen

After a personal consultation regarding Vitalie Becker’s workload in recent weeks, Germany U20 head coach Hannes Wolf has decided against calling up Schalke’s full-back for upcoming games against Romania and Italy. The 20-year-old is instead working through an individual program in Gelsenkirchen.

Moussa Sylla is also not involved with his national setup this month following discussions with the Malian Football Federation, as the team gear up for a friendly against Jordan in preparation for the approaching African Cup of Nations. The continental tournament will begin on 21st December 2025 and wrap up on 18th January 2026. Schalke’s striker will also be completing an individual training program over the break.