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Julen Lopetegui spent much of his short spell as Wolves boss on the phone to Howard Webb and for the first 94 minutes here, the Qatar boss must have been tempted to make a beeline for Pierluigi Collina today.
That was until Boualem Khoukhi climbed brilliantly at the far post to head home Homam Ahmed’s cross and earn Qatar’s first point in their World Cup history. No wonder they celebrated as though they had won the tournament. Switzerland had 27 shots but could score only one of them and were made to pay. Rattlesnakes were spotted at their training base last week and this was a sting in the tail they could have done without.
The chance Switzerland did take was controversial, too. When Remo Freuler was brought down by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada in the 14th minute, replays seemed to show he was narrowly offside.
Yet despite a camera being attached to virtually every blade of grass at this World Cup, there was no move to overturn the officials’ decision to award a penalty. Breel Embolo duly converted it.
The decision did look tight and FIFA have semi-automatic offsides in place at the tournament. Yet because it was such a close call, it was strange that viewers were not shown the decision-making process.
Ex-players in the television studios were grumbling away at half-time and Lopetegui probably felt the same way. It should be said, though, that Qatar looked very limited for much of this match and the Swiss had only themselves to blame.
Qatar earned their first ever World Cup point by snatching a late draw against Switzerland
Boualem Khoukhi equalised with a header in second half stoppage time to secure a shock result
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Asia had six representatives at Qatar 2022, including the hosts. As part of this expanded tournament, they have nine, with Qatar qualifying for the first time, after staging the last event.
This could hurt Switzerland, who would have banked on this to take an early lead in Group B. Now they have to face Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina and could need two wins to top the group and earn a favourable path through the knockout rounds. Certainly, Murat Yakin’s team were not at their best in the stifling heat. In the last two European Championships, they were denied a semi-final place only by losing on penalties to Spain and England respectively, earning themselves the ‘dark horses’ label.
They survived a scare inside the second minute here when Manuel Akanji trod on the ball, allowing Edmilson Junior through on goal. Any international forward worth their salt would have gobbled up the chance. Instead Edmilson, who has spent the last eight years in the Qatar Stars League, blundered into goalkeeper Gregor Kobel without really even shooting.
That seemed to wake the Swiss and Dan Ndoye might have scored twice in the opening 10 minutes. Abunada did well to save an angled drive from the Nottingham Forest man, who then skied from 12 yards after Ricardo Rodriguez’s cross found him unmarked.
Switzerland did not have to wait long to move in front as Freuler was brought down, no offside was given and Embolo sent Abunada the wrong way from the spot.
Qatar boss Julen Lopetegui oversaw the historic point, despite controversy in the first half
Switzerland were controversially awarded a penalty in the first half despite Remo Freuler appearing on replays to have been narrowly offside
Breel Embolo scored from the penalty spot but Switzerland then missed chances to make the game safe
Edmilson had another opportunity just before half-time and this time it was a better strike, a low first-time effort at the near post which Kobel did well to block with his feet. Yet either side of that opportunity, Switzerland wasted plenty of their own.
Denis Zakaria fired too close to Abunada from an excellent position and the Qatar goalkeeper stopped another from Ndoye. Ruben Vargas also went close in first-half stoppage time and Michel Aebischer saw one cleared off the line. After the break, Abunada blocked another attempt from Vargas before Embolo fired wide and then made a mess of trying to set up substitute Johan Manzambi.
There seemed little prospect of Qatar equalising but with only two minutes of added time left, Ahmed found a fine cross from the left and Khoukhi met it with a splendid header.
Which England star has 7 GCSEs? Who has lost half of his finger? Test your knowledge of Thomas Tuchel’s squad with our exclusive quiz HERE
