Switzerland wins round of 32 against Algeria and advances to the round of 16

Manzambi as the key player

As early as the 6th minute, Houssem Aouar had wasted a good opportunity for Algeria when he failed to properly connect with the ball in the penalty area. Subsequently, the North Africans, who had advanced to the knockout stage as third-placed team in Group J after a 3:3 draw with Austria, remained in the game but did not manage to produce any clear-cut chances. At halftime, the scoreboard showed a balanced picture with 60 percent possession for Algeria.

After the break, Switzerland increased the pressure early. Just 46 seconds after the restart, Ndoye struck after the Algerian defense had failed to clear the ball twice. The shot by the 25-year-old, who is under contract with AFC Nottingham Forest and had moved into the starting lineup in place of Djibril Sow, was unstoppable for goalkeeper Luca Zidane. Zidane is the son of former French world star Zinédine Zidane and plays for the Algerian national team, the so-called "Fennecs" (Desert Foxes), between the posts.

The Algerian team, which has never won a knockout match at a World Cup, tried to react thereafter. Riyad Mahrez, the former Manchester City professional, failed in the 48th minute with a blocked shot, before Denis Zakaria cleared another attempt off the goal line in the 50th minute. Zakaria, who had moved into the starting lineup as right back for the injured Luca Jaquez, emerged in this phase as one of the most important players in the Swiss defense.

Ndoye strikes immediately after the break

In the second half, Switzerland increasingly focused on controlling the game. The eleven coached by Yakin, who had succeeded Vladimir Petkovic in summer 2021, managed the lead with composure and allowed almost no more notable chances for the Algerians. A remarkable opportunity for the 3:0 presented itself to substitute Fabian Rieder, who, in the 82nd minute, standing free in front of goal after a cross from Zakaria, shot the ball into the arms of goalkeeper Luca Zidane – a candidate for the "miss of the World Cup," as the international media noted.

On the Algerian bench, coach Vladimir Petkovic, who had previously managed Switzerland from 2014 to 2021 and whose contract in Algeria had been extended prior to the tournament until 2028, responded with several substitutions. In the 58th minute, Amine Gouiri and Hadjam came on for Zerrouki and Aouar; in the 71st minute, Boudaoui and Hadj Moussa came on for Bentaleb and Mahrez; in the 82nd minute, Boulbina came on for Belghali. The substitutions, however, did not bring about the hoped-for turnaround.

Swiss defense stabilizes

The Swiss national team, which had started the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico as group winners of Group B, remained unbeaten in its fourth match at this World Cup. Noah Okafor, who had been brought on for Manzambi in the 70th minute, celebrated his first World Cup match. Zakaria had to be replaced in the 86th minute due to injury by Silvan Widmer, and a minute later Michel Aebischer also came on for Ndoye.

For the Swiss eleven, it was the first victory in a World Cup knockout match in 88 years. The last time they had done so was on June 12, 1938, in the round of 16 against Germany, when they came from 0:2 down to win 4:2 – at that time coached by Karl Rappan at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Since then, Switzerland had been eliminated in the round of 16 at every World Cup: in 1994 in the USA against Spain, in 2006 in Germany against Ukraine, in 2014 in Brazil against Argentina, in 2018 in Russia against Sweden, and in 2022 in Qatar against Portugal.

The success against Algeria also has a special note due to the personnel on the sidelines. Petkovic, the former Swiss national team coach, faced numerous players who had once worn the national jersey under him. Murat Yakin, the current Swiss coach, had taken over the position from Petkovic in the summer of 2021 and has now been in charge of the team for almost five years. From the very beginning, the match was marked by the duel between the two coaches, as the surrounding circumstances made clear.

Duel of the coaches with a shared past

Manzambi himself, the attacking player born in Geneva with roots in the Servette youth setup, delivered a performance that underlines his rising career. Against Bosnia-Herzegovina (4:1) he had scored two goals, against Canada (2:1) he had contributed one goal and one assist, and in the round of 32 he also provided the decisive assist for the 1:0. The sporting value of such performances is also reflected in the transfer policy of his club: SC Freiburg, now an Europa League finalist, had recently sold Kevin Schade (2023, 25 million euros) and Merlin Röhl (2026, 25 million euros) for 25 million euros each.

On Tuesday at 22:00 CEST, Switzerland will face the winner of the match between Colombia and Ghana – to be played in the night to Saturday in Kansas City – at the same venue in Vancouver. It is already Switzerland's third consecutive match at BC Place. The team now has a historic chance to advance to the quarterfinals of a World Cup – a stage they last reached in 1954 as hosts of the tournament. The weather in Vancouver on matchday was rainy at a constant 14 degrees Celsius under the closed roof of the stadium.

Outlook on the round of 16

The referee for the match was the Argentine Facundo Tello, who was also assisted by Falcon Perez. There were no cards on the Swiss side, while for Algeria, Chaibi and Boudaoui received yellow cards. Captain Granit Xhaka played his 150th international match for Switzerland – a personal milestone embedded in the context of a historic team performance.

„Ich hoffe, dass wir im Turnier noch weit kommen werden. Wir haben eine gute Qualität und die haben wir heute auch gezeigt“, sagte Manzambi nach dem Spiel. Seine Worte unterstrichen den Anspruch der Mannschaft, den Erfolg über Algerien als Ausgangspunkt für weiterreichende Ziele zu begreifen – auch wenn der Weg in das Viertelfinale über einen unbequemen Gegner aus Kolumbien oder Ghana führen wird.

Der historische Stellenwert des Abends wurde auch dadurch unterstrichen, dass die Schweizer Auswahl zuvor bei fünf aufeinanderfolgenden Weltmeisterschaften im Achtelfinale gescheitert war. Nun, mit dem 2:0-Erfolg in Vancouver, hat die Mannschaft von Yakin die seit 1938 bestehende Durststrecke beendet und sich für die Runde der besten Acht qualifiziert.