Switzerland ended a long knockout-round wait in Vancouver, British Columbia, beating Algeria 2-0 as Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye scored to send the Swiss into the World Cup round of 16.
The Swiss will face the winner of Colombia and Ghana in Kansas City, Missouri, with that round-of-16 match scheduled for Vancouver.
Embolo Puts Switzerland Ahead In Vancouver
Algeria controlled the opening 10 minutes, but Switzerland struck first when Johan Manzambi broke down the right side and crossed for Embolo to finish from close range. Embolo marked his 26th international goal with a knee slide.
Swiss coach Murat Yakin called the timing of the goal important, describing it as “a lucky punch” before saying Switzerland grew into control against an Algeria side with strong individual players.
Less than a minute into the second half, Ndoye doubled the lead with a shot from the top of the box that Luca Zidane could not keep out. Fabian Rieder nearly added a third in the 81st minute, but missed a tap-in as the ball moved across the face of Algeria’s goal.
Swiss End Knockout Wait Dating To 1938
Switzerland had not won a World Cup knockout-round match since 1938 in France, though it did win a 1954 playoff to reach the quarterfinals. The team had reached the round of 16 at the past three World Cups, all played with 32-team fields, but had not advanced further.
After the final whistle, the Swiss players sat on the field while supporters sang to them, then rose and danced as the celebration built. Ndoye said Switzerland had written “one page of history” but wanted more, adding that the team had to prove itself again in the next match.
Algeria Exit After Return To World Cup
Algeria were eliminated after returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2014, when they reached the knockout round before losing to eventual champion Germany.
Algeria advanced as a third-place finisher after a 3-3 draw with Austria in Kansas City, a result that moved both teams through and eliminated Iran. Captain Riyad Mahrez, 35, scored twice in that match.
Algeria head coach Vladimir Petkovic said the second Swiss goal was decisive after his team had created chances in the first half without scoring. He also said returning to the competition after 12 years away and reaching the group stage’s next phase for only the second time in Algeria’s history still counted as a major achievement.
Switzerland earned the return trip to Vancouver after beating Canada 2-1, with Rubén Vargas and Manzambi scoring to end Canada’s hope of playing a first knockout-round match on home soil. The Swiss then returned to their training base in San Diego during a week off.
Manzambi, 20, has become one of Switzerland’s breakout players at the tournament, with two goals and two assists after beginning the World Cup on the bench and earning starts in the team’s last two games. Petkovic, who coached Switzerland from 2014 to 2021, previously led the Swiss out of the group stage at the 2018 World Cup and to the European Championship quarterfinals in 2020.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the match in Vancouver after also attending Spain against Austria in Inglewood, California.