Manzambi's Double Leads Switzerland Past Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 in World Cup Group B

Substitute Johan Manzambi scored twice in the second half as Switzerland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 on Thursday in their FIFA World Cup Group B match at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The 20-year-old midfielder from Geneva, who plays for German Bundesliga side Freiburg, broke the deadlock with a spectacular volley in the 74th minute after replacing winger Dan Ndoye. Manzambi, who had just helped fire Freiburg to last month's Europa League final, connected perfectly on a clearing attempt by Bosnia defender Amar Memic, sparking celebrations among Swiss supporters.

Switzerland's dominance increased dramatically after Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic was sent off in the 80th minute for a dangerous tackle on Swiss forward Breel Embolo. Rubén Vargas extended the lead to 2-0 in the 84th minute with a crisp finish, with Manzambi involved in the buildup. The young midfielder sealed his first-ever brace in the 90th minute with a side-footed finish from an assist by captain Granit Xhaka. Bosnia-Herzegovina pulled one back through midfielder Ermin Mahmic in the 93rd minute—his first international goal—before Xhaka converted a penalty in the 97th minute to complete the rout.

The victory allows Switzerland to take control of Group B following their disappointing 1-1 draw with Qatar in the opening round. Bosnia-Herzegovina, appearing in only their second World Cup, had arrived unbeaten in their last nine competitive matches but were overwhelmed in the second half. After two matches, Canada leads the group with a 6-0 victory over Qatar, followed by Switzerland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Qatar. Manzambi, praised by coach Murat Yakin for his versatility and "football quality," described the moment as fulfilling a childhood dream. "Honestly, it's incredible. It's the first brace of my entire career, and to do it at the World Cup, especially after we didn't get off to the best start, it's a childhood dream come true," he told reporters.