In an exciting encounter, Switzerland emerged victorious with a decisive 4-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, marked by an exciting finish. (AP photo)
A masterful late-acceleration match saw Switzerland take absolute control of their group after thumping Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 in a packed Sofi Stadium on Thursday night.In front of a raucous crowd of 70,026, largely dominated by tens of thousands of enthusiastic Bosnian fans, the Swiss found themselves frustrated for long periods. Having entered the match under pressure following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Qatar last week, Switzerland dominated possession but lacked the attacking edge to break down a highly motivated Dragons side, who entered the match enjoying a nine-match unbeaten streak.
The scenario turned dramatically in the 74th minute thanks to a tactical strike. Just three minutes after replacing outstanding winger Dan Ndoye, 20-year-old Geneva-born substitute Johan Manzambi produced a moment of pure magic. Anticipating a header from Amar Mimik, the Freiburg star launched himself into the air and smashed home a powerful shot, sending the nervous Swiss unit into absolute delirium.
Things went from bad to worse for Bosnia soon after when Tarik Muharimovic was shown a straight red card for a dangerous and reckless tackle. The Bosnian defense completely collapsed with ten men under the continuous Swiss attack.In the 84th minute, Ruben Vargas doubled the lead with a perfect shot. Then Manzami increased the score without any doubt in the 90th minute, scoring his second goal of the match after setting up the ball brilliantly with a perfect pass from Vargas.Bosnia scored a simple goal in stoppage time of the second half when Ermin Mahmoud scored in the 94th minute, rewarding the raucous Dragons fans who welcomed every simple victory on the pitch. However, the final say goes to the veterans. With the last kick of the match in stoppage time, Swiss captain Granit Xhaka calmly stepped forward to score a penalty kick, sealing a crushing 4-1 victory.Despite the heavy result, Bosnia and Herzegovina are still alive and have a legitimate chance of reaching the knockout stages in only their second World Cup appearance, but must pick up a win in their last group stage match against Qatar, having faced off against their higher-ranked rivals in the second half. For Switzerland, the late wave indicates that it is finally starting to move when it matters most.
