Qatar secured their first World Cup point after a late own goal against Switzerland, resulting in a 1-1 draw. This came after Qatar’s captain Boualem Khoukhi and Miro Muheim scored from Breel Embolo’s penalty cross at the 94th minute.
The match saw Switzerland struggle to close out the game despite 26 goal attempts compared to Qatar’s seven. The result left Group B tied, with all teams on a point following Canada’s 1-1 draw against Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui and goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada were thrilled by the late equalizer. Abunada had earlier fouled Remo Freuler to give Switzerland their first penalty of the match.
Despite this, Qatar dominated possession and created several scoring opportunities. However, they failed to capitalize on these chances until Ahmed’s cross set up Khoukhi for the decisive goal in the 94th minute.
Switzerland coach Murat Yakin expressed disappointment at not being able to secure a win. His team will face Bosnia & Herzegovina next, while Qatar will take on Canada in their final group match. Despite an official attendance of 67,966, many seats remained empty at the 70,000-capacity stadium.