Switzerland thought they would have an easy run in their Group B opener but Qatar had other plans as they won their first-ever World Cup points with the 1-1 draw in California.
Switzerland arrived at the World Cup with plenty of experience, playing in their sixth consecutive tournament. On Saturday, they entertained the crowd by dominating possession, finishing with 26 attempts on goal.
The Swiss took the lead early through a Breel Embolo penalty and looked set for a comfortable victory. However, they failed to add a second goal and paid the price in stoppage time. A defensive lapse allowed Qatar to equalise when Boualem Khoukhi’s header took a deflection off defender Miro Muheim and found the net.
The goal sparked wild celebrations among the Qatar players and fans, while Switzerland were left stunned.
The result was a historic one for Qatar, while for Switzerland, it was another frustrating chapter in a tournament where they have been eliminated in the Round of 16 in five of their last six appearances.
Swiss coach Murat Yakin cannot be criticised for his attacking approach. His team played on the front foot throughout the game and created enough chances to win comfortably.
But with tougher Group B matches against co-hosts Canada and Bosnia still to come, Yakin may have to rethink his strategy.
If Switzerland hope to emerge as dark horses at this World Cup, there is still plenty of work to do.
When Embolo put Switzerland ahead in the 17th minute, it seemed only a matter of time before more goals followed. However, despite their relentless pressure, they could not find the finishing touch. As frustration grew, cracks began to appear in a defence that had conceded only two goals during qualifying.
“We had an idea and we wanted to be very dominant, very attacking,” Yakin said.
“We created very good chances, but unfortunately we weren’t always efficient. Maybe we weren’t smart enough, not precise enough in the end.”
