Qatar sealed a dramatic 1-1 draw with Switzerland in their group B encounter on Saturday night at the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.
The game which took place at the San Francisco Bay Area in Santa Clara saw the Swiss dominate majority of the clash, but were particularly wasteful in front of goal.
Breel Embolo gave Qatar the lead in the first half from the penalty spot and they looked set for victory until Boualem Khoukhi scored a late equalizer to seal their first points at the tournament.
It leaves all four teams in the group on one point as well as Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina, who played a 1-1 draw in their clash on Friday.
Embolo penalty gives Swiss first half lead
Switzerland opened their campaign against the 2022 hosts nations and were favourites heading into the clash, but it was Qatar who had the first chance of the match although Edmilson could not make Manuel Akanji pay for a poor clearance.
Switzerland then grew into the game and Ndoye tested Abunada in the Qatar goal, before he fired over a few minutes later from a good position.
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The European side were then awarded a penalty kick after the Qatar goalkeeper fouled Aebischer. Despite calls for offside in the buildup, the penalty stood controversially and Breel Embolo converted to make their dominance count in the encounter.
They continued to dominate, but were very wasteful in front of goal with Ndoye the main culprit as the first half ended in a 1-0 scoreline.
Khoukhi stoppage time goal seals point for Qatar
Switzerland continued the way they ended the first half and Granit Xhaka had an effort fly narrowly over just a few seconds after the restart, as they held their one-goal advantage.
Mazanbi and Embolo also wasted good scoring chances for their side, summing up their poor display in front of goal on the night.
Khoukhi broke Switzerland hearts at the death with a late header to seal a 1-1 draw and hand Qatar their first points ever at the World Cup.
Key Stats
Ball Possession: Qatar 32% – 68% Switzerland
Total Shots: Qatar 7 – 26 Switzerland
Shots on target: Qatar 4 – 7 Switzerland
Pass Accuracy: Qatar 71% – 91% Switzerland
Corners: Qatar 3 – 10 Switzerland
What Next?
Switzerland will be hoping for their first win at the 2026 World Cup when they face Bosnia in their next match on Thursday. Meanwhile, Qatar will face Canada in the other group encounter on the same day.
