Switzerland reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1954 after defeating Colombia 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a tense 0-0 draw that lasted 120 minutes on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel emerged as Switzerland's hero, saving Cucho Hernandez's penalty after Davinson Sanchez had earlier struck the crossbar, giving the Swiss the advantage in the shootout.
Although Manuel Akanji missed for Switzerland by sending his effort over the bar, Ruben Vargas converted the decisive penalty, calmly placing the ball into the bottom corner to seal a historic victory.
The result sends Switzerland into a quarter-final showdown with defending champions Argentina in Kansas City after Lionel Scaloni's side earlier produced a dramatic comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2.
For Colombia, meanwhile, the defeat was a bitter disappointment as they fell short of reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for only the second time in their history, having previously achieved the feat in 2014.
The match in Vancouver proved to be one of the most evenly contested ties of the knockout stage.
Colombia created the best opportunity of the first half in the 21st minute when Gustavo Puerta curled a shot towards the far corner from 18 yards, forcing Kobel into an impressive diving save.
Switzerland responded soon after, but Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was alert to deny Fabian Rieder's effort from a tight angle.
Despite a lively atmosphere generated by a vast majority of Colombian supporters inside BC Place, neither team was able to find a breakthrough during regulation time.
The closest Switzerland came to scoring was in the opening moments of stoppage time when Dan Ndoye made a clever run into the area before dragging his shot narrowly wide of the far post.
Extra time brought further drama but still no goals.
Colombia came agonisingly close to taking the lead when defender Jhon Lucumi rose unmarked to meet a corner, only to see his header crash against the crossbar.
The near miss sparked an open spell as both teams pushed forward in pursuit of a winner, but neither could find the decisive goal.
Switzerland had entered the match with a significant setback after 20-year-old attacker Johan Manzambi, one of the tournament's breakout stars with three goals and two assists, was ruled out due to a knee injury suffered in training.
Nevertheless, the Swiss remained disciplined throughout and eventually held their nerve when the contest was decided from the penalty spot.
After Sanchez's miss and Kobel's crucial save from Hernandez, Switzerland seized control of the shootout and Vargas ensured there would be no way back for Colombia.
The victory marks Switzerland's deepest World Cup run in more than seven decades and keeps alive their hopes of an unlikely title challenge.
Their reward is a high-profile quarter-final clash against an Argentina side that needed a dramatic late comeback against Egypt to keep their own World Cup defence on track.
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had b...
An Azerbaijani citizen died and another is missing after a cargo ship was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea, near the coast of Romania on Monday...
Azerbaijan is seeking to attract more European visitors by improving air connectivity and raising its profile as an international tourism des...
Australian counterterrorism authorities are examining the links of the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain and attempting to take control of a flydubai flight bound for Israel. Authorities in New Zealand have also said they are investigating reports the suspect had spent time in that country.
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
An Azerbaijani citizen died and another is missing after a cargo ship was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea, near the coast of Romania on Monday, 5 October, Baku's Foreign Ministry has said.
The German-Azerbaijani Connectivity Conference 2026 commenced on 6 October in Baku under the title “Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure, Transport, Logistics, Green Energy, and Digitalisation along the Middle Corridor.”
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
Space-agency chiefs and industry leaders met to discuss lunar exploration, satellite networks and orbital security on Tuesday as a major global space congress entered its second day.
Police fired tear gas at protesters blockading French high schools on Tuesday as students, teachers and parents took to the streets on the biggest day of action in a wave of demonstrations against understaffed and dilapidated classrooms.
A large Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region has killed two people, damaged homes and sparked a major fire at a key fuel facility, according to Russian officials and military bloggers.
Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola after a Kenyan citizen who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) died in Nairobi, prompting health authorities to launch an urgent contact-tracing operation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment