Substitute Johan Manzambi stole the show with a late brace as Switzerland powered to a commanding 4-1 victory over 10-man Bosnia and Herzegovina in their Group B clash at Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday.
The 20-year-old midfielder transformed the game after coming off the bench, helping Switzerland secure their first win of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and move into a strong position in the race for a place in the knockout rounds.
The opening stages were played at a lively tempo. In the fourth minute, Bosnia attempted to threaten when a long ball found Edin Dzeko’s strike partner Ermedin Demirovic, but the move broke down before it could trouble the Swiss defence. At the other end, Breel Embolo was flagged offside as both teams looked to settle into the contest.
Switzerland soon began to assert control. Granit Xhaka dictated play from midfield and nearly created the opening goal in the 10th minute with a brilliant pass through the Bosnia defence. Dan Ndoye raced onto the ball but fired his low effort into the side netting.
The statistics reflected Switzerland’s dominance. Having completed 527 passes with a tournament-leading accuracy rate of 91.5 percent in their opening match, they once again controlled possession with ease. Bosnia, who had completed just 172 passes with 63.5 percent accuracy in their first outing, spent much of the game chasing shadows.
Veteran striker Edin Dzeko tried to inspire Bosnia midway through the first half. The 40-year-old launched an attack in the 30th minute, carrying the ball forward before delivering a dangerous cross into the penalty area. However, Switzerland managed to clear the danger.
By the 38th minute, Xhaka had already produced 10 line-breaking passes, including eight in the final third. His vision and passing range consistently stretched the Bosnia defence, although Switzerland still struggled to find a breakthrough.
Bosnia enjoyed a brief spell of pressure late in the first half. Sead Kolasinac burst behind the Swiss backline in the 43rd minute and won a corner after his shot was blocked. However, the opportunity quickly disappeared when the referee awarded a foul inside the penalty area.
The first half ended goalless despite Switzerland’s dominance and Bosnia’s determination to stay compact.
The Swiss continued to press after the restart and nearly produced a spectacular opener in the 55th minute. Dan Ndoye connected with a cross from Xhaka and attempted an acrobatic overhead kick, but goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj reacted well to make the save.
Vasilj again came to Bosnia’s rescue eight minutes later, producing an excellent stop at his near post to deny Embolo following a corner.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 74th minute and it came from an unlikely source. Moments after entering the game following a hydration break, Johan Manzambi met a cross with a brilliant volley that Vasilj could only push into the roof of his own net.
The goal sparked celebrations among the Swiss supporters and secured Manzambi’s place in the history books as Switzerland’s youngest World Cup goalscorer since 1950.
Bosnia’s task became significantly harder five minutes later when Tarik Muharemovic received a straight red card. The defender brought down Embolo as the striker raced towards goal and failed to make any contact with the ball. The referee had little hesitation in producing the red card.
Switzerland almost capitalised immediately from the resulting free kick, but Vasilj once again kept his side in the contest with a fine save from Ruben Vargas’ powerful effort.
The resistance finally collapsed in the 84th minute. Another Swiss substitute made an impact as Vargas collected a layoff from Embolo before curling a low shot beyond Vasilj to double the lead.
With an extra player and momentum firmly on their side, Switzerland continued to attack. Five minutes later, Xhaka produced a clever no-look pass to release Vargas, who cut the ball back perfectly for Manzambi to side-foot home his second goal of the evening and make it 3-0.
The closing stages produced even more drama. Bosnia grabbed a consolation goal two minutes into stoppage time when substitute Ermin Mahmic scored with his first touch of the game. Gregor Kobel could only partially clear a corner and Mahmic reacted quickest to smash the ball into the net from distance.
However, Switzerland had the final word. In the sixth minute of added time, Amar Memic caught Djibril Sow inside the penalty area while attempting to clear the ball. The referee immediately pointed to the spot.
Xhaka stepped up and calmly sent the penalty into the bottom corner to complete a comprehensive 4-1 victory.
Remarkably, all five goals, the penalty and the red card occurred during the final 16 minutes, including stoppage time, after a largely uneventful opening 74 minutes.
The victory marked Switzerland’s first World Cup match with four goals since their 4-1 win at the 1994 tournament. The result also puts them firmly in control of Group B and strengthens their hopes of reaching the last 32.
For Bosnia, the defeat leaves them with plenty of work to do if they are to keep their qualification hopes alive.
The match also featured a historic milestone for Bosnia captain Edin Dzeko. At 40 years and 93 days old, he became only the fourth outfield player aged 40 or older to appear in a FIFA World Cup match, joining Roger Milla, Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo.
While Dzeko achieved a personal landmark, the night ultimately belonged to Manzambi, whose stunning late double transformed a tense contest into a memorable Swiss victory.
