Johan Manzambi was the hero for Switzerland following their dominant 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in their second group game on Thursday.
The game which struggled to produce any goal sparked into life in the 74th minute when Manzambi who had just entered the fray as a substitute led the goalscoring, ending the game with a brace, while Ruben Vargas and a late Granit Xhaka penalty sealed victory.
Switzerland were held to a 1-1 draw in their opening game against Qatar, a game in which they wasted several goalscoring chances and conceded the equalizer in stoppage time.
Meanwhile, Bosnia had held Canada to a 1-1 draw to begin their World Cup campaign and keep their hopes of reaching the next round alive.
The Swiss dominated the clash but struggled to break down a well organized Bosnia defence until Manzambi came into the game in the 71st minute.
Three minutes later, the Freiburg midfielder broke Bosnia’s resistance with a first-time volley into the back of the net past Nikola Vasilj for his maiden World Cup goal.
Bosnia were then reduced to 10 six minutes later when Tarik Muharemovic was sent off for a foul on Breel Embolo who was through on goal, making Bosnia’s task much harder.
Switzerland made their man advantage count as Ruben Vargas doubled their lead in the 84th minute, putting them on the brink of their first win of the 2026 tournament.
Vargas soon turned provider for Manzambi on the stroke of full time to double his tally and score their side’s third of the game.
Bosnia grabbed a consolation after a goal from Ermin Mahmic in stoppage-time, but Switzerland restored their three-goal advantage after Xhaka scored from the spot following a foul on Djibril Sow by Amar Memic.
Switzerland move to four points in the group ahead of their final game against Canada. Bosnia, meanwhile, now need to win against Qatar to keep their hopes of reaching the next stage alive.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
