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The Guardian World
Qatar net late goal against Swiss to secure historic first World Cup point
TL;DR
Qatar secured their first-ever World Cup point with a dramatic 1-1 draw against Switzerland, thanks to Boualem Khoukhi's equalizer in stoppage time. Switzerland's Breel Embolo had opened the scoring with a penalty in the first half.
Key points
- Qatar earned their first World Cup point
- Boualem Khoukhi scored in stoppage time
- Breel Embolo scored a penalty for Switzerland
- Mahmoud Abunada received a yellow card
- Match ended in a 1-1 draw
Mentioned in this story
Boualem KhoukhiBreel EmboloMahmoud Abunada
QatarSwitzerland
Boualem Khoukhi scored an equalising goal on a header in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and Qatar spoiled a dominant day by Switzerland in a 1-1 draw in Group B of the World Cup.
Several of the Qatari players fell to the ground on Saturday in celebration of the late goal, as others ran to each other to embrace.
Breel Embolo scored for Switzerland from the penalty spot in the first half just over a week after being cleared to enter the US following a visa delay, but the Swiss failed to capitalise on multiple other scoring chances.
In the 13th minute, Embolo was fouled by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, who received a yellow card on the play. Abunada lay face down and appeared motionless for a couple of minutes before he began to move his legs and was able to stand up again.
When Embolo calmly sent his penalty into the upper left corner in the 17th minute, it sent the red-clad Swiss fans into a dancing frenzy in the stands of Levi’s Stadium.
The 29-year-old forward applied for an urgent visa at the United States embassy in Bern on June 3, one day after he was denied boarding the team’s flight to travel for his third World Cup because of a 2018 criminal conviction that was only finalised in April.
Switzerland dominated the possession game on an unseasonably warm June afternoon — with sprinklers running during a first-half break.
Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi scores their first goal past Switzerland’s Gregor Kobel [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters]
There were thousands of empty seats scattered throughout Levi’s Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Brazil and Colombia drew 70,971 two years ago in a group match at the Copa America. The stadium in Santa Clara staged the Super Bowl only four months ago.
Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a save in the second minute after Edmilson Junior got through the defence for a one-on-one. Kobel corralled the ball again in the 90th on a close-range attempt by Ahmed Alaaeldin.
Switzerland is hoping to advance further than its round-of-16 showing four years ago before losing 6-1 to Portugal — when Goncalo Ramos delivered an improbable hat-trick playing in place of benched star Cristiano Ronaldo. The loss prompted Switzerland midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri to apologize the the fans.
Q&A
How did Qatar score their first World Cup point?
Qatar scored their first World Cup point by equalizing with a goal from Boualem Khoukhi in the fourth minute of stoppage time against Switzerland.
What was the outcome of the Qatar vs. Switzerland World Cup match?
The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Switzerland initially leading through a penalty by Breel Embolo.
What happened to Qatar's goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada during the match?
Mahmoud Abunada received a yellow card for fouling Breel Embolo and appeared motionless for a couple of minutes before recovering and standing up.
