Soccer-Bosnia defender Spahic to make international comeback

SARAJEVO, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Bosnia defender and former captain Emir Spahic will come out of international retirement for the team's European championship Group B qualifiers, coach Safet Susic said on Monday. The 34-year old Bayer Leverkusen centre back quit the national team after a group stage exit in the 2014 World Cup but had a change of heart after Bosnia lost 2-1 at home to Cyprus in their opening Euro 2016 qualifier this month. "Spahic called me to wish us good luck before the Cyprus game and I called him back straight after it to ask him to return to the national team," Susic told the Bosnian football association. "He accepted after thinking about it for a few days and will now be a great addition to the squad in our bid to qualify for Euro 2016. "His departure had left a void at the back and the two young central defenders will perform much better alongside him," said Susic, adding that Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko would keep the captain's armband. The Bosnians, who qualified for their first major tournament as an independent nation when they reached the World Cup finals in Brazil, visit Wales in Cardiff on Oct. 10 and are at home to Belgium in Zenica three days later. Andorra and Israel are the other teams in the group. (Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic in Belgrade; editing by Alan Baldwin)