Qatar late show stuns wasteful Switzerland in World Cup Group B opener after controversial penalty decision gets Breel Embolo off the mark

Switzerland were left to rue a mountain of missed opportunities as Qatar snatched their first-ever World Cup point in dramatic fashion. Murat Yakin’s side looked set for a routine victory after controlling large periods of the contest in Santa Clara, but their failure to find a second goal proved fatal. The frustration was visible at the final whistle, with Yakin throwing a water bottle on the ground in anger as his team let two points slip away.

Switzerland managed to get the better of their opponents with a Breel Embolo penalty giving them the lead in the 17th minute. The Swiss appeared to be coasting toward the finish line until the 94th minute when Boualem Khoukhi rose highest to head home - albeit the goal officially being credited as a Miro Muheim - and spark wild celebrations in the stands. The result sees both sides take a point in Group B, leaving the section wide open following Canada's earlier draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The match was marred by drama involving VAR in the 14th minute when Qatar goalkeeper Abunada collided with Remo Freuler in the box. The incident left the keeper temporarily motionless, but while he received treatment, the referee pointed to the spot. However, the decision was clouded by controversy as replays suggested there may have been an offside in the build-up. There was significant frustration as FIFA failed to show confirmation of the automated decision on the big screen at the stadium.

Embolo, who had arrived in the United States on a delayed flight, showed no signs of rustiness as he stepped up to take the kick. The striker calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner. Despite the early advantage, the Nati could not build on their momentum, with Dan Ndoye and Embolo himself wasting clear-cut chances to double the lead before the break.

Granit Xhaka had some strong words for his team's performance after the final whistle. The performance they showed was not much different from when they drew 1-1 against Australia in a warm-up match. The Swiss captain had actually given a warning before the match, but it didn't yield the desired results.

"Football has its beautiful and less beautiful sides, that won't change. If you don't take your chances up front, you'll concede at the back. Perhaps we lost a little patience and thought we absolutely had to score the 2-0. We need to be clever and experienced enough and simply take this game home," Xhaka told SRF.

"We knew they were waiting for their moment. The rhythm was a bit off, we weren’t playing in those positions anymore, everyone was just running around aimlessly. Ultimately, you have to respect the positions more and do what the coach asks. You don’t have to be the showman and do everything yourself. It’s about discipline. If the coach brings players in and you don’t have the discipline in certain positions, then it becomes difficult."

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