World Cup 2026: Manzambi's brace powers Switzerland past Bosnia

Switzerland delivered a masterclass in second-half dominance on Thursday, overwhelming Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 after a frustratingly barren first 70 minutes.

Nati controlled proceedings throughout, maintaining around 70% possession in the first 30 minutes, yet their lack of clinical finishing threatened to leave them frustrated once again. Dan Ndoye proved to be the most dangerous attacker in the opening hour, forcing Nikola Vasilj into a series of saves throughout the match.

In the 10th minute, Ndoye drove into the box and fired a tremendous shot just wide of the left post. The winger returned to trouble Vasilj repeatedly. In the 20th minute with a magnificent low strike that the keeper somehow pushed away, and in the 51st minute with another effort from the edge of the box.

Remo Freuler nearly broke the deadlock with a thunderbolt from range in the 23rd minute that went narrowly wide of the left post, while Michel Aebischer's header from inside the six-yard box in the 53rd minute flew yards wide of the right post. Despite their territorial dominance, the Swiss went into half-time level at 0-0.

Manzambi's masterclass

The introduction of Manzambi and Vargas in the 71st minute changed the entire complexion of the match. Manzambi made an immediate impact, scoring just three minutes later when he fired home a rebound inside the right post after the ball broke to him in the box. But his influence did not stop there. In the 80th minute, Manzambi orchestrated a devastating counter-attack, sending Breel Embolo into the depths with a perfectly weighted pass. The Stade Rennais attacker raced toward goal only to be hauled down by Muhamerovic in a last-ditch defending attempt.

The Bosnian centre-back, already positioned as the last defender, was shown a straight red card, a moment that symbolised Bosnia's complete defensive collapse. Four minutes later, with Zmajevi reduced to ten men, Vargas sealed the contest with a clinical finish. Manzambi again proved the architect, serving Embolo in the box, who quickly remitted to Vargas. The winger's first-time cross-shot found the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

Even in the dying moments, Switzerland's onslaught continued. In the 90+3rd minute, Ermin Mahmic salvaged some pride for Bosnia with a brilliant first-time strike under the crossbar. Yet, in the 90+7th minute, Amar Memic's reckless foul on Xhaka gifted the Swiss captain a penalty. Xhaka stepped up and calmly dispatched it into the bottom corner in the 90+8th minute for a fourth goal, a cruel final flourish that summed up Bosnia's complete collapse.