FRI, JULY 3 AT 8:30AM
Vancouver, July 1: Switzerland are set for a showdown with Algeria in Vancouver, where the winner will set up a last-16 clash against either Colombia or Ghana.
While their North African counterparts have yet to progress from a World Cup knockout tie, the Swiss have been waiting since 1938. So, there’s a lot on the line as both vie to reach the next stage.
Switzerland recovered from a slow start – drawing 1-1 with Qatar – by beating Bosnia-Herzegovina and Canada to top Group B by three points.
Rubén Vargas and Johan Manzambi were both on target against the co-hosts, after their mid-game introductions as impact substitutes against Bosnia had totally turned that game on its head.
A rising star with recent Europa League finalists Freiburg, 20-year-old Manzambi already has three goals from three shots on target at his first World Cup.
This century, the only under-21s to score more at one finals were Thomas Müller in 2010 (five) and Kylian Mbappé in 2018 (four) – that’s quite some company to keep.
Manzambi may represent the future, but he’ll do well to emulate Swiss skipper Granit Xhaka, who made the most line-breaking passes (53) in the group phase, and only Rodrigo Bentancur (29) won possession more (24).
All set for his 150th cap, Xhaka aims to lead his country to three consecutive World Cup wins, which is something they’ve never managed before. However, five of their last nine major knockout matches have gone to penalties, with four ending in elimination, while they’ve won just one of the last 12 inside 90 minutes.
Considering the World Cup alone, that record deteriorates further: Switzerland have been eliminated in seven straight knockout ties dating back 88 years.
The man tasked with ending that drought is head coach Murat Yakin, whose immediate predecessor will occupy the other dugout.
Yakin took the reins from Vladimir Petkovic five years ago, while the latter arrived in Algeria’s hot-seat via a brief stint with Bordeaux.
Following his successful Swiss reign, Petkovic had already led his new team to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals and through CAF qualifying before taking them to the World Cup’s last 32 in remarkable style.
Both needing just one point to progress, Algeria and Austria seemed content to settle for a mutually convenient draw from their final Group J fixture, but Riyad Mahrez hadn’t read that script and belatedly put the Fennec Foxes in front following a record-breaking 110-pass move that lasted over five minutes without interruption from an Austrian player. The drama was not over, though, as the Austrians struck back deep into stoppage time, and a 3-3 result saw both teams go through at Iran’s expense. Algeria therefore finished as one of the eight best third-placed teams, having previously lost 3-0 to Argentina, then beaten Jordan 2-1.
As a result of their late slip-up against Austria, the North African nation remain winless against European opposition at the World Cup since shocking West Germany in 1982.
Several Europe-born players will be central to their hopes this time, including key creator Ibrahim Maza, a former Germany youth-teamer from Berlin.
Nicknamed ‘Mazadona’, the Bayer Leverkusen playmaker completed the most dribbles (13) during the group stage, including six out of six against Austria.
Captain Mahrez is another key cog. Now aged 35, he’s finally scored his first World Cup goals, and three goal involvements so far is already a new national record. (Agencies)
