Stunning injury time equalizer secures historic World Cup point
Boualem Khoukhi scored a dramatic header deep into stoppage time to grant Qatar its first-ever FIFA World Cup point in a gritty 1-1 draw against Switzerland at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
Dominating early exchanges, the Swiss squad controlled 68% of possession and unleashed 26 shots, yet failed to secure the victory. Breel Embolo opened the scoring in the 17th minute, confidently converting a penalty after Qatari goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada fouled Michel Aebischer inside the box. Dan Ndoye missed multiple opportunities to extend the lead for the European side, including a powerful shot that rattled the crossbar.
Qatar showed immense resilience, weathering heavy pressure despite an early missed breakaway by Edmilson Junior. This historic result marks a turning point for the Gulf nation, which failed to secure a single point during its host run in the 2022 tournament.
Physicality intensified after the interval, resulting in yellow cards for Switzerland's Denis Zakaria and Qatar's Jassem Jaber. Granit Xhaka and Johan Manzambi both missed late chances to seal the game for the Swiss team.
Sloppy defending in the dying moments allowed El Ahmed to float a precise cross into the penalty area. Khoukhi met the ball cleanly, directing a powerful header past goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to spark wild celebrations on the Qatari bench and alter the dynamics of the group.
With Inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI
