Qatar Snatch Late Draw Against Switzerland
Father christmas: Boualem Khoukhi scored the equalizing goal with a header in the fourth minute of extra time as Qatar spoiled Switzerland’s dominant day with a 1-1 draw in World Cup Group B on Saturday.
Many of the Qatar players fell to the ground to celebrate the final goal, while others ran to each other to embrace.
Breel Embolo scored for Switzerland from a first-half penalty, a week after he was allowed to enter the US following a visa delay, but the Swiss player was unable to capitalize on several other scoring chances.
In the 13th minute, Embolo was fouled by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, who received a yellow card during the game. Abunada lay face down and appeared motionless for a few minutes, then was able to move his legs and stand up again.
Embolo calmly sent the penalty into the top left corner in the 17th minute, sending the red-clad Swiss fans into a dancing frenzy in the Levi’s Stadium stands.
The 29-year-old striker applied for an emergency visa at the US embassy in Bern on June 3, a day after he was denied boarding the team’s flight to his third World Cup because of his criminal conviction in 2018.
Switzerland dominated the possession game on an unseasonably warm June afternoon; The sprinklers were running throughout the first half-time.
There were thousands of empty seats scattered throughout Levi’s Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Brazil and Colombia drew 70,971 in group play at the Copa America two years ago. The stadium in Santa Clara had staged the Super Bowl just four months earlier.
Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a save in the second minute after Edmilson Junior had broken past the defence. Kobel took control of the ball again in the 90th minute with Ahmed Alaaeldin’s shot from close range.
Switzerland are hoping to progress further than they did in the last 16 four years ago, before losing 6-1 to Portugal, where Goncalo Ramos scored an improbable hat trick, coming on as a substitute for substitute star Cristiano Ronaldo. The defeat prompted Swiss midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri to apologize to the fans.
The Swiss team benefited from consistency and experience to remain unbeaten in the qualifiers against Sweden, Kosovo and Slovenia. Coach Murat Yakin’s team achieved four wins and two draws to reach their sixth consecutive World Cup and have not missed a match since 2002, but the team has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals.
Led by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui, Qatar had to qualify for the play-offs by beating the United Arab Emirates and Oman in November after missing out on a group stage opportunity in the Asian qualifiers.
The Gulf State nation became the first host nation to lose all of its group matches four years ago. The team lost to Senegal, Ecuador and the Netherlands in the 2022 tournament, and scored its only goal in a 3-1 defeat to Senegal.
