Safet Susic achieved iconic status as a player but his success in guiding Bosnia-Hercegovina to the World Cup finals 20 years after a bloody civil war tore the Balkan nation apart has made him a legend.

The 59-year-old Susic -- who as a goalscoring attacking midfielder became a hero to Paris Saint-Germain fans -- hopes Bosnia make an impact in Brazil.

Bosnia's attacking style of football -- they scored 30 goals in qualifying to top their group with a superior goal difference to Greece -- will stretch the defences of Group F rivals, Argentina, Nigeria and Iran.

Any success for Susic, who was appointed in 2009 after a non-descript coaching career largely with Turkish clubs, is a means for him to bring his homeland some relief and happiness from economic crisis and rampant unemployment.

"The country is torn apart by political and economic problems," he told World Soccer last year.

"It is logical that reflects on our football, but playing in Brazil would help in both directions. This team brings people together.

"A few years ago you could not imagine Bosnians, Serbs and Croats supporting the team, but that has changed now."

While Susic, who appeared at World Cup finals in 1982 and 1990 for Yugoslavia as a player, has devised an attractive playing style and a no-nonsense reputation with his players.

He emphasised this in no uncertain fashion with Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko after the player criticised Susic for not honouring an agreement that he would not play the whole 90 minutes of the March friendly against Egypt, which they lost 2-0.

"There was no such agreement with Dzeko," Susic told Bosnian newspaper Dnevni Avaz.

"He wanted to come off in the second half but I left him on because, despite his claim that he was suffering from a niggling knee injury, the team doctor said he was match-fit with a proper warm-up.

"As long as I am in charge, Dzeko will play when (selected), while he won't be allowed to suggest or influence team selection in any way and that also goes for (captain) Emir Spahic, who also seemed to have his own ideas.

"I was a player too, but I never dared question the coach's decisions.

"The present and the future matter more than the past in this business and the sooner Dzeko accepts that the better."

Despite this, Susic is known for his loyalty and he can ill afford to go into the finals with bad blood simmering between him and Dzeko, who top-scored in the qualifiers with 10 goals.

Susic, voted the French top flight's player of all time by France Football magazine, displayed this loyalty to PSG by staying there for nine years despite many bigger clubs declaring interest in him.

His one league title and a French Cup were a poor reward for his outstanding ability.

In 2010, France Football again named him the best foreign player to don the PSG strip, seeing off such luminaries as Brazilian 2002 World Cup winner Ronaldinho and prolific Liberian striker George Weah.

"For me he's unsurpassable, the best Yugoslavia had. Probably one of the best in the world," former Yugoslavia and Macedonia striker Darko Pancev, who won the 1991 European Cup with Red Star Belgrade, told Bosnian sports website Sportin in 2008.

"I was often known to say that us other players should have to pay to play in the same team as Pape. A wonderful player."