Inglewood, 19 June (H.S.):

Switzerland produced a commanding second-half performance to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 early on Friday, significantly strengthening their position in Group B. The turning point came after the break when substitute Johan Manzambi scored his first-ever FIFA World Cup goal, sparking a dominant display that sealed an emphatic victory for the Swiss.

Switzerland controlled possession throughout the first half but failed to break down Bosnia and Herzegovina's disciplined defensive line. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 74th minute when Manzambi volleyed home brilliantly to hand Switzerland the lead.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's task became even more difficult when Tarik Muharemović was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle, reducing his side to 10 men.

Making full use of their numerical advantage, Switzerland doubled their lead in the 84th minute through Ruben Vargas. Manzambi then scored his second goal of the match in the 90th minute after being set up by Vargas.

In stoppage time, captain Granit Xhaka converted a penalty to make it 4-1 and complete Switzerland's dominant victory.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's only goal came in added time through Ermin Mahmić. Despite the defeat, Bosnia and Herzegovina remain mathematically in contention for a place in the knockout stage.

The match also saw Bosnia and Herzegovina captain Edin Džeko achieve a notable milestone, becoming one of the select few players to start a FIFA World Cup match at the age of 40.

With the victory, Switzerland bounced back impressively after a disappointing draw against Qatar in their previous match and significantly strengthened their standing in the Group B table.

Johan Manzambi also became Switzerland's youngest goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup since 1950.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar