Qatar gets first World Cup point with late equaliser against Switzerland

Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi surprised Switzerland with a late goal, ending the match in a 1-1 draw on Saturday. This was Qatar's opening game at the World Cup.

Switzerland took the lead early with a penalty from Breel Embolo in the first half in the San Francisco Bay Area. But Qatar, after struggling, secured their first-ever World Cup point.

This was Qatar's second World Cup appearance, following their hosting of the tournament in 2022. They looked a bit off their game because the war in the Middle East led to the cancellation of two warm-up matches. So, their game against Switzerland was only their third since December last year.

For most of the match, Qatar was outperformed as Switzerland had 26 shots on goal. But Khoukhi’s header four minutes into injury time set off wild celebrations on the Qatar bench.

This match was also special for Qatar's coach, Julen Lopetegui, as it marked his first World Cup match. The 59-year-old was supposed to coach Spain in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but he was sacked just days before the tournament after it was announced he would take over Real Madrid.

Switzerland aims to reach the knockout stage for the fourth World Cup in a row. But their inability to finish strong in a match they dominated will be a worry for their coach, Murat Yakin.

Qatar nearly scored first when Manuel Akanji made a mistake in just the second minute, allowing Edmilson Junior to shoot. Sadly, he only managed a weak shot at Gregor Kobel, the Swiss goalkeeper.

This miss seemed to wake up the Swiss side. They were awarded a penalty in the 13th minute when goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada collided with Remo Freuler, despite concerns about offside. After a four-minute stoppage, Embolo scored, sending Abunada the wrong way.

The rest of the first half saw Switzerland pressing hard toward the Qatar goal. Just before half-time, Edmilson had a chance and forced a right-footed save from Kobel during a rare attack.

Under the hot Californian sun, chances became scarce in the second half. The most notable moments included a long-range shot from Granit Xhaka that just flew over the bar and an Embolo shot that hit the side netting.

In the end, Switzerland paid for their missed chances. Khoukhi struck a powerful header into the goal at the back post, scoring an equaliser in the 94th minute.

Switzerland's next match is against Bosnia on Thursday in Los Angeles. Qatar will play co-hosts Canada on the same day in Vancouver.