2026 World Cup: Joy for Switzerland as Manzambi Breaks Through Bosnia’s Defense
Switzerland defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 on Matchday 2 of Group B of the 2026 World Cup, securing its spot in the round of 16 of the World Cup. After a difficult first half, the Swiss sealed the victory in the second half thanks to goals from two substitutes, Manzambi (who scored twice) and Vargas. Captain Xhaka also scored from the penalty spot late in the game. Dzeko and his teammates remain stuck on one point in the standings.
A poor first half in Inglewood, with the match proceeding at a slow pace and offering few thrills. Switzerland, eager to bounce back after their slip-up against Qatar, dictated the play but found few openings: the Swiss were slow, the forwards moved too little, and their play was predictable. Dzeko and his teammates defended in an organized manner and looked to strike on the counterattack. Among Switzerland’s most active players was Ndoye, though he lacked precision. On a counterattack, Dzeko failed to make the final pass. That was all there was to the first 45 minutes.
In the second half, Switzerland started off much more aggressively, while Bosnia continued its defensive strategy. Murat Yakin’s team begins to create chances; Embolo has an opportunity in the 63rd minute. In the 72nd minute, the Swiss coach makes a triple substitution, bringing on Manzambi, Vargas, and Sow for Ndoye, Rieder, and Aebischer—it’s the right move.
In the 74th minute, just two minutes after coming on, Manzambi himself made it 1-0 with a right-footed volley following a scramble in the box. For Switzerland, it’s a relief: the Swiss play much more freely, while Bosnia is forced to completely change its approach to mount a comeback. In the 80th minute, the Dragons were reduced to 10 men after Muharemovic was sent off for a foul on Embolo—the final blow for Bosnia, which was unable to create any real danger.
In the 84th minute, Switzerland sealed the victory by doubling their lead with a goal by Vargas off a pass from Embolo, and in the 90th minute, Manzambi put the game away, scoring his second goal of the match off a cross from Vargas to cap off a superb performance. In stoppage time, Mahmic scored a consolation goal with a beautiful volley following a corner kick. There was even time for Switzerland’s fourth goal: Xhaka scored it in the 96th minute on a penalty kick awarded for a foul by Memic.
