The story of Esmir Bajraktarević is particularly special because the 21-year-old forward was born in the United States, which led him to play for the youth selections of that country and even earn one appearance for their senior national team, albeit in a friendly match.
This was leveraged by our football association, persuading him to play for the country of his origin, which he did when he debuted for our national team in September 2024. It was precisely his life story that inspired Emir Suljagić, the director of the Srebrenica Memorial Center, who spoke out on social media.
"One of the reasons Esmir Bajraktarević's life story moved me so deeply is because I have a similar case in my family. Ahmed Suljagić is an exceptionally talented boy who currently plays in St. Louis. His father survived a shooting at the age of 17 in May 1992 after being held in the Sušica camp," revealed Suljagić, adding:
"Three years later, he was among the young men who guided the column of survivors from the Death March to safety in July 1995. That’s why when Ahmed scores goals, they are not just goals. They are a continuation of the same journey his father began from Bratunac in May 1992."
Along with the post, he included a video compilation of the young Suljagić's goals and moves, suggesting he might follow a similar path as Bajraktarević in the future and play for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, should his career develop in the desired direction.