Until deep into stoppage time, looked set to make a winning start to their campaign. Having pressed high and stayed organised at the back, the Europeans had kept control of possession and dictated the tempo for virtually the entire match against .
Granit Xhaka and Ricardo Rodriguez each made their 13th FIFA World Cup™ appearance to set a new Swiss record, but Qatar would ultimately spoil the celebrations.
After Homam El Amin's cross in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Boualem Khoukhi rose highest to meet it with a header, and the ball found its way into the Swiss net via substitute Miro Muheim. Moments later, the final whistle confirmed – and a bitter blow for Switzerland.
"I can't fault the team's performance," Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said after the match. "If you look at the stats, we had 26 shots today, but we were just giving their keeper some catching practice. I think we need to be more clinical in front of goal.”
Despite their dominance in possession and overall play, Switzerland lacked the cutting edge needed to overcome a well-organised Qatar side that kept battling until the very end and, ultimately, broke Swiss hearts with a stoppage-time sucker punch.
For Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui, the draw represented a positive result. Indeed, the Spanish tactician spoke proudly of his side's historic first-ever World Cup point. "We believed in ourselves," Lopetegui said. "We worked hard, dug deep and showed tremendous character. In the end, our efforts paid off. To draw 1-1 and get a point is a really big milestone for us.
"We can't forget that we have already made history simply by being here. It doesn't mean we're under any more pressure now. Nothing has changed really. We need to recover well and be ready with a solid game plan .”
Lopetegui and his side are likely to stick to a similar approach as they look to upset the hosts in their own backyard. Switzerland, meanwhile, will look to put the disappointment of their opening match behind them as they go up .
Sources: FIFA Official
