Qatar Make History with Late Draw against Switzerland
- Timothy Belin
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
Credit Sky Sports
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
A 90th+5 equalizer gave Qatar their first-ever point at a FIFA World Cup against a Swiss side that never truly got out of second gear.
In a game quickly disrupted by constant fouling and time wasting from the Middle Eastern side, a first-half penalty for Switzerland looked likely to be the winner for much of the afternoon. That wasn’t counting for Boualem Khouki’s late, late leveler deep into second-half stoppage time.
Switzerland came into the game as Group B’s clear favourite, with Qatar the least likely nation to progress. However, it was the Asian minnows who got the first big chance of the game. Only two minutes into proceedings, Switzerland’s Manuel Akanji committed a mistake on defence to allow Edmilson Junior through on goal. Gregor Kobel came out quickly and made a somewhat unconventional save, appearing to almost sit on the ball after it had gone through his legs.
As if shocked to life, Switzerland quickly responded with chances of their own. Dan Ndoye, a revelation at his country’s last major tournament, Euro 2024, was the bright spark early on. In the sixth minute, a perfect through ball by Michel Aebischer sprung him behind the defence, but his shot across goal was well-saved. Just four minutes later, he had another big chance as a cutback found him on the edge of the box. Forced to take it first-time on his left foot, he skied it over the bar.
Ndoye nearly got another chance off a Ruben Vargas free-kick, but Qatar’s Mahmud Abunada claimed it just ahead of the Swiss winger. The shotstopper was however at fault two minutes later when Remo Freuler pounced on Breel Embolo’s knocked-down header. Abunada wiped out the midfielder, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Abunada injured himself in the collision and needed on-field treatment, but the penalty was eventually taken in the 17th minute. Embolo stepped up and calmly wrong-footed the keeper to slot the ball into the side netting.
Embolo almost turned provider just four minutes later following a quick one-two with Denis Zakaria, but the AS Monaco captain could not find the back of the net from the corner of the six-yard box.
The next 20 minutes saw plenty of Swiss possession, but little in terms of real opportunities. Vargas and Ndoye proved real livewires on either flank, but Qatari players took turns fouling them to kill any dangerous attacks in their infancy.
Kobel was once again called into action in the 43rd minute, making a clever stop with his extended leg. As with the first Qatari chance, Switzerland responded quickly with several of their own.
As the game entered six minutes of stoppage time, Ndoye got off a half-volley in the box, and nearly had a second chance following Abunada’s save. Two minutes later, Embolo laid the ball off to Vargas, but the ball got stuck in the winger’s feet and his shot was easily saved and probably wide anyway.
The biggest chance was however the last, as Embolo got the ball ahead of Abunada in the final minute of first-half stoppage time. With the keeper off his line and out of goal, the Swiss forward cut it back to Aebischer, but the midfielder’s shot was saved off the line by a Qatari defender.
The second half started at a slower pace as both sides appeared to struggle in the Santa Clara midday heat. Only after both sides made multiple substitutions, a triple change for Qatar on the hour mark and a double change for Switzerland in the 65th minute, did it come back to life.
Vargas had a shot on goal in the 75th minute after a quick counterattack. Not even a minute later, substitute Johan Manzambi threaded a perfect ball through to Embolo, only for the striker to slip it through the keeper’s legs but just wide of the post.
Manzambi, a breakout star for Europa League finalists SC Freiburg this season, attempted a shot himself five minutes later, but his piledriver from distance went just wide of the Qatari goal.
Both sides had half-chances going into the game’s six minutes of second-half stoppage time, but it was in the encounter’s dying moments that the Middle Eastern side stole a point. With less than 120 seconds left to play, Homam Elamin sent an inviting cross to Kobel’s back post. Khouki got his head on it ahead of Miro Muheim to score only his nation’s second-ever goal on the world’s biggest stage and steal a point against the run of play.
As the final whistle blew, Qatari players celebrated as if they had won the game. The Swiss, in stark contrast, looked shellshocked. In the grand scheme of things, it means Group B is back to square one following an identical result in the group’s other first-round game yesterday.
Switzerland will look to bounce back June 18 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Qatar will face co-hosts Canada later that same day.
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