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Switzerland dispatched Bosnia and Herzegovina with a resounding 4-1 victory this Thursday at the , in the second round of Group B of the 2026 World Cup, positioning itself as the group leader with four points.
The first half was a tight contest with few significant chances, ending without any goals. Until the 71st minute, the score remained 0-0, and the match didn’t offer much excitement. Then came the turning point: the Swiss coach made three simultaneous substitutions that changed everything. Johan Manzambi came on for Ndoye, Rubén Vargas replaced Rieder, and Sow took the place of Aebischer, with all three substitutes making an immediate impact on the scoreboard.
Just three minutes after stepping onto the field, Manzambi scored the first goal in the 74th minute. Bosnia tried to respond, but in the 80th minute, they suffered another setback: a red card for T. Muharemovic, which left the Balkan team with ten men at the most crucial point of the match.
With a weakened opponent and plenty of space, Switzerland did not hold back. Vargas extended the lead in the 84th minute, and Manzambi capped off his personal double in the 90th to seal the match definitively. The Bosnian consolation goal came also in the 90th minute, scored by newcomer E. Mahmic, who could only slightly diminish an already decisive result.
Manzambi, regarded as one of the great hopes of Swiss football with seven goals and nine assists in 47 matches in his last club season, was the standout player of the night with a brace that came from the bench.
The statistics clearly reflect Switzerland's dominance throughout the 90 minutes: 62% possession, 12 shots with six on target compared to just four from Bosnia, and seven corners against two. The Balkans committed 16 fouls to just seven by the Swiss, and accumulated two yellow cards—Dedic in the 59th minute and Dzeko in the 61st—before Muharemovic's red card in the 80th minute. Switzerland received only one yellow card, given to Elvedi in the 65th minute.
As for the context of the group, began with all four teams tied on one point after the first matchday: Switzerland drew 1-1 with Qatar on June 13 —goal by Breel Embolo in the 17th minute, equalizer by Khoukhi in the 90+4th minute— while Bosnia drew 1-1 with Canada —goal by Lukić in the 21st minute, equalizer by Larin in the 78th minute—. The group was completely open before this match.
With this Thursday's victory, Switzerland accumulates four points and establishes itself as the clear leader. Bosnia remains with one point and is in a precarious position to advance to the next round, as they will need to win their final match and hope for favorable results. As noted by Noticias Caracol, "Switzerland only needed fifteen minutes to trounce Bosnia 4-1 in the second match of the 2026 World Cup."
The next match for Switzerland in Group B will be against Canada on June 24, 2026, a clash that could determine the leaders and the teams qualifying for the next round.
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