Qatar scored a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser to draw with Switzerland and claim their first-ever point at a World Cup finals. Boualem Khoukhi headed home in the 94th minute to spark wild celebrations among Julen Lopetegui’s squad.
It was a remarkable end to a one-sided affair. Switzerland had dominated throughout and looked set to win through Breel Embolo’s penalty.
The striker converted in the 17th minute after Remo Freuler was felled by goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada. Replays suggested Freuler had strayed marginally offside in the build-up, though VAR allowed the spot-kick to stand.
At that point Murat Yakin’s side were heading towards the top of Group B. Instead, they were punished for wasteful finishing and a late drop in intensity. The Swiss racked up 25 shots but scored only once.
Nottingham Forest’s Dan Ndoye spurned several openings, while Ruben Vargas and Embolo also missed gilt-edged chances. That profligacy let Qatar, outclassed for long spells, snatch the unlikeliest of points.
The result carries real weight for the hosts of four years ago. Back then, Qatar lost all three games, the first nation to do so, scoring once and conceding seven.
For much of Saturday, more of the same looked likely. Every key metric underlined Switzerland’s control. Yet Khoukhi’s header delivered arguably the greatest moment in Qatari football history.
“I am very proud of the team,” Lopetegui said. “I told them that even if we hadn’t scored the goal and didn’t draw I would have been proud of the mentality and discipline that they showed today.
“But fortunately we scored and that was history. We were a little bit lucky sometimes but you need to believe and work to have a little bit of luck in life and in sport. So we are very happy for the players.”
Switzerland next face Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday, 18 June at 20:00 BST. Qatar meet co-hosts Canada the same day at 23:00 in Vancouver.
Read more – Fact Check: The Truth Behind the Viral Zlatan Ibrahimović and IShowSpeed FOX Sports Broadcast Clip
Also see – Why the World Cup Misses Nigeria and Cameroon
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