ZENICA: Four-time world champion Italy failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the third consecutive time.
In a playoff final held in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Italy in a penalty shootout.
With this loss, Italy became the first former champion to miss three consecutive World Cup tournaments.
Italy took an early lead through Moise Kean, but defender Alessandro Bastoni received a red card before halftime. The team had to play with 10 men.
Bosnia’s substitute Haris Tabaković equalized in the 79th minute.
Neither team scored in extra time, sending the match to penalties. Italy missed two crucial spot-kicks, while Bosnia converted the decisive penalty to secure victory.
The defeat added to Italy’s recent struggles, as the team had already failed to qualify for two previous World Cups.
Italy, which won the 2006 World Cup, has struggled since 2010, failing to advance past the group stage in both the 2010 and 2014 tournaments.
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Bosnia, meanwhile, has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for only the second time since 2014.
