Switzerland coach Murat Yakin has announced that Manuel Akanji will no longer take penalties for the team. This decision comes after Akanji missed his penalty during the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Colombia, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Akanji was the only Swiss player to miss in the shootout, sending his shot over the crossbar.
Despite this setback, Switzerland moved on as goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a key save. Rubin Vargas then scored the winning penalty, taking Switzerland into the quarter-finals, where they will meet Argentina.
Yakin shared that Akanji had already told him about his choice to stop taking penalties after his disappointing miss in this big tournament.
The coach recognized Akanji's disappointment but praised his leadership and overall play, saying the penalty miss does not lessen his value to the national team.
"It is completely excluded now. Manu did so many things right on the field, but he probably overestimated himself in the penalty shootout," Yakin said, as reported by Danish website Bold.
Akanji's ties to Nigeria are strong. He was born in Switzerland to a Nigerian father and a Swiss mother. He could have played for either country but chose to represent Switzerland.
Even with this choice, Akanji has not hidden his love for Nigeria. He has a tattoo of the Super Eagles crest on his arm to honor his father's homeland.
Akanji is still an important player for Yakin as Switzerland gets ready for their World Cup quarter-final against Argentina.
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