INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Switzerland turned FIFA’s controversial hydration breaks into a tactical advantage on Thursday, scoring four late goals to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 and move to the top of Group B at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Swiss coach Murat Yakin revealed that he deliberately waited for the second mandatory cooling break before making a triple substitution, introducing fresh attacking players to exploit tiring opponents in a match that had remained scoreless deep into the second half.
The move transformed the contest.
Substitute Johan Manzambi scored twice, while fellow replacement Rubén Vargas contributed a goal and an assist as Switzerland overwhelmed Bosnia in the final stages at SoFi Stadium.
“It was very important that after the second hydration break, we would change a few things, because then the opponent can’t react immediately,” Yakin said.
“Maybe that was the edge we had. We brought in very fast players, and our opponent couldn’t run with them, and it opened up gaps on the edge. That was my strategy. I waited until the break.”
Switzerland dominated possession throughout the match but struggled to break down a disciplined Bosnian side that arrived unbeaten in its previous nine competitive matches.
The breakthrough finally came in the 74th minute when the 20-year-old Manzambi, who had entered the match only minutes earlier, produced a superb volley to open the scoring and spark celebrations among the Swiss supporters.
“This is probably the best moment of my career so far,” Manzambi said.
“We knew we didn’t start the match in the best way, but we had to be patient. We know we’re a good team, and we showed it.”
Bosnia’s task became even more difficult in the 80th minute when defender Tarik Muharemovic was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Breel Embolo just outside the penalty area.
Switzerland quickly capitalized on the numerical advantage. Vargas doubled the lead in the 84th minute after combining with Embolo and Manzambi.
Manzambi added his second goal in the 90th minute after Vargas set him up, before captain Granit Xhaka completed the scoring from the penalty spot with the final kick of the match.
Bosnia managed a consolation goal in stoppage time through substitute Ermin Mahmic, whose powerful finish briefly lifted spirits before Switzerland restored its three-goal advantage.
The result leaves Switzerland in a strong position to qualify for the knockout stage after opening the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Qatar.
For Bosnia, the defeat ended an impressive unbeaten run but did not eliminate its hopes of reaching the last 32.
“From the first cooling break until the goal, we were the better team,” Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez said.
“We had two or three excellent chances which should have ended in a goal. This is the first match we’ve lost in a while, and it is hurtful. But we know that if we win the next game, we have an excellent chance of going forward in the tournament.”
Veteran striker Edin Dzeko started for Bosnia and became one of the few outfield players aged 40 or older to start a World Cup match, playing 63 minutes before being substituted.
Source: Saudi Gazette