Switzerland entered the contest with a major setback after breakout star Johan Manzambi was ruled out with a knee injury….reports Asian Lite news Desk
Switzerland reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1954 after defeating Colombia 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a hard-fought goalless draw.
Ruben Vargas converted the decisive penalty to seal a historic victory for the Swiss, who will now face Argentina in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
“I didn’t even know if I would be able to play. I’m just grateful that I could help the team. I felt very confident before the penalty. The fact that I was even able to convert the decisive attempt is just awesome,” Vargas said after the match.
Switzerland entered the contest with a major setback after breakout star Johan Manzambi was ruled out with a knee injury. The absence of the influential attacker was evident during a subdued first half in which Colombia enjoyed the better of the play but failed to create clear scoring opportunities.
Colombia’s best chance before the break came when Gustavo Puerta curled an effort from outside the penalty area, forcing Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel into an acrobatic save.
Opportunities remained limited after the restart. Colombia came close midway through the second half when Luis Suarez found space but sliced his effort well wide of the target.
Switzerland also struggled to create meaningful openings, with Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas called into action only once to deny Fabian Rieder’s left-footed volley with a comfortable save.
The match became more open during extra time as both sides searched for a breakthrough.
Colombia came closest when Jhon Lucumi’s powerful header struck the crossbar, while Switzerland substitute Zeki Amdouni forced another save from Camilo Vargas. At the other end, Jaminton Campaz squandered a golden opportunity by firing over the bar.
With neither side able to find the decisive goal after 120 minutes, the contest was settled by a penalty shootout.
Colombia’s hopes suffered a blow when Sanchez struck the underside of the crossbar with his penalty before Hernandez saw his effort saved by Kobel.
Vargas then calmly converted the winning penalty to complete a memorable victory and send Switzerland into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in more than seven decades.
