This will take some getting over.
Much like Ireland, Bosnia looked dead in the water midway through their Euro 2016 Qualifiers.
The Dragons brought in a new manager, however, and regrouped. They ended the qualifiers as Europe's in-form team, with a great record at home.
Ireland were rightly considered underdogs going into their two-legged playoff but Martin O'Neill's men negotiated close calls, thick fog and Edin Dzeko before winning 3-1 on aggregate.
Bosnian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic may not have endeared himself to Irish fans during the second leg - he was in the referee's ear a bit too much - but he graciously accepted defeat.
Begovic, who is enduring a tough start to life at Chelsea,
was consoled after the match by Irish forward Jon Walters, his former Stoke team-mate.
Late last night,
the 28-year-old took to Facebook and Twitter to wish Ireland well in next summer's tournament. He wrote:
"Tough and sleepless night behind all of us. We expected much more out of this play-off, but we were far from our best last night and Ireland deserved this win. Congratulations and good luck in France."
His Twitter message was more of the same.
https://twitter.com/asmir1/status/666538763514966017
Meanwhile, Bosnia-Herzegovina midfielder Haris Medunjanin was
not as willing to let the ghost of his side's 2-0 defeat go.
Medunjanin was not pleased at the soft concession of a first half penalty, which Walters converted. "We had a good chance," he said, "but we have not achieved our goal. It was not a penalty kick. It should not have been given."
