Qatar Secures First World Cup Point with Late Goal

Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi stunned Switzerland with a late equaliser, as the two sides finished their opening World Cup match with a 1‑1 draw on Saturday.

A Breel Embolo penalty had broken the deadlock for Switzerland early in the first half in the San Francisco Bay Area, before the favourites were forced to share the points after Qatar secured their first ever World Cup point.

Qatar, appearing in only their second finals tournament after hosting the 2022 World Cup, looked rusty. The war in the Middle East had caused the cancellation of two of their warm‑up friendlies, so the match against Switzerland was only their third game since December last year.

For most of the match the Swiss dominated, registering 26 shots, while Qatar’s 35‑year‑old Khoukhi headed in the equaliser four minutes into injury time, sparking wild celebrations on the Qatar bench.

For their manager Julen Lopetegui, it was also a landmark moment as he coached his first World Cup match. The 59‑year‑old had been slated to lead Spain at the 2018 edition in Russia, but was dismissed days before the tournament after it was announced he had agreed to take over Real Madrid after the World Cup.

Switzerland are aiming to reach the knockout stages for the fourth consecutive World Cup, but their failure to finish off a match they dominated will concern coach Murat Yakin.

Manuel Akanji offered Qatar the first big chance of the match in just the second minute when a defensive lapse let Edmilson Junior through; the shot was tame and was saved by goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

That early let‑off energized the Swiss, who were awarded a penalty on 13 minutes when goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada collided with Remo Freuler. Despite a suspicion of offside, Embolo converted the spot‑kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

The rest of the first half saw one‑way traffic toward the Qatar box, with Edmilson nearly catching the Swiss cold just before half‑time. He drew a right‑footed save from Kobel at the end of a rare forward foray.

Under a blazing Californian sun, chances dried up in the second period. The most notable moments were a Granit Xhaka drive from distance that narrowly missed the bar and an Embolo poke that landed in the side netting.

Ultimately, Switzerland were made to pay for their profligacy when Khoukhi powered in at the back post to bullet home a 94th‑minute equaliser.

Switzerland will face Bosnia on Thursday in Los Angeles, while Qatar will meet co‑hosts Canada in Vancouver on the same day.

AFP

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