Qatar secures draw against Switzerland with late equalizer

By Ama Serwah — 13 June 2026 — 3 min read

Late Goal Secures Draw for Qatar

Qatar achieved a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in a recent football match, with Boualem Khoukhi scoring a dramatic equalizer in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The goal, a header, allowed Qatar to secure a point in the Group B World Cup fixture. This result came after Switzerland had dominated much of the game.

The late goal sparked celebrations among the Qatari players, some of whom fell to the ground in jubilation, while others embraced. The match was held at Levi’s Stadium, which is also home to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Despite the warm June afternoon conditions, sprinklers were used during a first-half break to manage the pitch.

Switzerland’s Early Lead and Missed Opportunities

Switzerland initially took the lead through Breel Embolo, who scored from a penalty kick in the 17th minute of the first half. This penalty was awarded after Embolo was fouled by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada in the 13th minute, an incident that also resulted in a yellow card for Abunada. The goalkeeper appeared motionless for a few minutes following the foul before he was able to stand again.

Embolo’s goal, calmly placed into the upper left corner, ignited celebrations among the red-clad Swiss fans in the stands of the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. This goal came just over a week after Embolo was cleared to enter the United States following a visa delay. The 29-year-old forward had applied for an urgent visa at the United States embassy in Bern on June 3, after being denied boarding for the team’s flight due to a 2018 criminal conviction that was finalized in April.

Despite taking an early lead, Switzerland was unable to capitalize on numerous other scoring chances throughout the match. Their dominance in possession was evident, controlling 69% of the ball compared to Qatar’s 31%. Switzerland also had a higher number of goal attempts, with five shots on target and 20 off target, while Qatar managed three shots on target and three off target.

Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made an early save in the second minute, denying Edmilson Junior in a one-on-one situation. Kobel also collected the ball in the 90th minute from a close-range attempt by Ahmed Alaaeldin, highlighting his contributions to keeping Switzerland in the lead for much of the game.

Team Backgrounds and Tournament Aspirations

Switzerland has a history of consistency in World Cup appearances, having secured their sixth consecutive participation and not missing a tournament since 2002. They qualified for the current tournament by going unbeaten against Sweden, Kosovo, and Slovenia, achieving four wins and two draws. However, the team has never progressed beyond the quarterfinals in their World Cup history.

Four years ago, Switzerland reached the round-of-16 before being defeated 6-1 by Portugal. That match saw Goncalo Ramos score a hat-trick while playing in place of Cristiano Ronaldo. Following that loss, Switzerland midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri issued an apology to the fans.

Qatar, managed by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui, secured their place in the tournament through a playoff in November, where they defeated the United Arab Emirates and Oman. This followed their failure to qualify directly from their Asian group stage. Four years ago, Qatar became the first host nation to lose all of its group matches, suffering defeats to Senegal, Ecuador, and the Netherlands in the 2022 tournament, with their only goal coming in a 3-1 loss to Senegal.

The recent match at Levi’s Stadium also saw thousands of empty seats, despite the stadium having hosted the Super Bowl only four months prior. Two years ago, a group match between Brazil and Colombia at the same venue drew an attendance of 70,971.

Source: theguardian.com