Switzerland vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina: Without Shaqiri, A-Team can be World Cup entertainers thanks to Freiburg's Johan Manzambi

Switzerland took 1 measurement person to the circular of 16 astatine World Cup 2026 connected Thursday, erstwhile they thrashed Group B rivals Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 astatine SoFi Stadium.

Murat Yakin's A-Team came into the crippled aft a disappointing 1-1 gully against Qatar in their opener, and seemed to beryllium heading for different frustrating effect contempt a fig of fractional chances, but the crippled changed erstwhile Johan Manzambi was introduced.

The Freiburg midfielder was substituted connected with little than 20 minutes remaining, yet helium bagged the archetypal extremity of the crippled specified moments aft entering the fray, earlier notching his side's 3rd successful an action-packed extremity to the match.

Switzerland person garnered a estimation for being the entertainers astatine planetary tournaments, though questions stay astir their aboriginal pursuing the status of national-team icon Xherdan Shaqiri.

Here, after A-Team's triumph, Sports Mole takes a look astatine however the Swiss tin instrumentality to their champion astatine World Cup 2026.

Switzerland tin bash it astatine World Cup 2026 without Xherdan Shaqiri

Former Liverpool and Bayern Munich prima Shaqiri made 125 appearances for Switzerland crossed a 14-year planetary vocation - netting 32 goals successful the process - and was liable for a fig of memorable strikes astatine tournaments implicit that awesome stretch.

However, the 34-year-old nary longer dons the A-Team jersey, leaving abstraction for the likes of Nottingham Forest's Dan Ndoye to instrumentality centre-stage successful his absence.

There is an statement to beryllium made that Shaqiri could inactive adhd worth to Yakin's XI, fixed that helium notched 15 goals portion providing 12 assists for Basel successful 2025-26, and aft watching their squad conflict to marque a breakthrough for ample periods connected Thursday, fans would beryllium forgiven for wanting him back.

Luckily for the supporters that made the travel to Los Angeles, a triple substitution connected the 71-minute people delivered the spark that Switzerland needed.

Manzambi, Ruben Vargas and Djibril Sow were brought on, and turned the crippled connected its caput by scoring 3 of their side's 4 goals, arsenic good arsenic contributing to their opponents being shown a reddish card.

Manager Yakin whitethorn question to marque changes to his starting lineup against Canada pursuing specified awesome cameos, with Manzambi drafting peculiar praise for his pivotal relation successful Thursday's triumph.

One to watch: Switzerland and Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi

A midfielder by trade, Manzambi scored the archetypal extremity of the crippled successful a mode befitting his fig 9 garment erstwhile helium rifled location a almighty volley 3 minutes aft coming on.

Six minutes aft that, helium played Breel Embolo done connected goal, spurring Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic into making a last-ditch descent tackle that resulted successful the Dragons being reduced to 10 men.

Fellow substitute Vargas soon bagged a 2nd to enactment the clash beyond Sergej Barbarez's side, and Manzambi added a 3rd erstwhile the Sevilla guardant pulled the shot backmost to him for a elemental close-range finish.

At conscionable 20 years of age, Manzambi started 26 times successful for Freiburg successful the Bundesliga, and played a large portion arsenic Die Breisgau-Brasilianer finished runners-up successful the Europa League successful 2025-26 - the club's first-ever quality successful a European final.

Such an eye-catching cameo connected the biggest signifier is definite to gully the attraction of shot fans, but determination is nary uncertainty that the youngster is already connected the watchlist for the continent's biggest teams during what is acceptable to beryllium a engaged summertime transportation window.

Switzerland skipper Granit Xhaka arsenic beardown arsenic ever astatine World Cup 2026

Manzambi volition deservedly garner the Swiss headlines this week, but Granit Xhaka's fantabulous show should not beryllium overlooked.

The A-Team's skipper and grounds quality holder with 148 caps, Xhaka has been astatine the halfway of the broadside for much than a decade, and helium continues to present erstwhile it counts.

The 33-year-old midfielder's prime went nether the radar astatine times during his stint with Arsenal, but his progressive passing was missed erstwhile helium near for Bayer Leverkusen, whom helium helped unafraid an unprecedented unbeaten Bundesliga title.

Now backmost successful the Premier League arsenic the skipper of Sunderland, Xhaka is wide regarded arsenic 1 of the astir impactful players successful the English apical flight, and is credited with guiding the Black Cats to a singular seventh-placed decorativeness past term.

On Thursday, helium played a fig of exceptional passes, uncovering Vargas connected the near with a perfectly weighted done shot successful the buildup to Manzambi's second, for example.

Xhaka was besides capable to get himself connected the scoresheet erstwhile helium dispatched a 97th-minute punishment into the bottom-right corner, conscionable retired of goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj's reach.

The skipper lived up to his rubric with his show against Bosnia-Herzegovina, and arsenic a caller procreation begins to interruption done into the Swiss nationalist team, Xhaka's acquisition volition enactment to temper the younger endowment successful the squad.