Switzerland moved close to securing a place in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup finals after claiming a valuable 4-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the second round of Group 2 fixtures.
The goals came from Johan Manzambi in the 74th and 90th minutes, Ruben Vargas in the 84th minute, and Granit Xhaka from the penalty spot in the 90+7th minute, while Ermin Mehmetović pulled one back for Bosnia in the 90+3rd minute.
Switzerland moved to 4 points after having opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Qatar, putting one foot in the round of 16 ahead of the third matchday, while Bosnia and Herzegovina remained on 1 point following their 1-1 draw with Canada in the first round.
The first half saw Switzerland hold a relative edge in possession and attacking attempts, but they were frustrated by solid defensive organisation from Bosnia and their goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj, who made several saves — most notably denying Dan Ndoye in the 20th minute — while Remo Freuler also threatened with a shot that clipped the post in the 23rd minute.
Bosnia, for their part, looked to catch their opponents on the counter and from set pieces, with veteran Edin Džeko almost opening the scoring early when he fired wide in the 2nd minute, before goalkeeper Gregor Kobel excelled to stop Amar Memic's effort from outside the box in the 38th minute.
The first half ended goalless as both sides failed to convert their chances despite clear attacking intent from Switzerland.
After the restart, Switzerland intensified their pressure on the Bosnia defence, with Ndoye and Aebischer squandering more than one opportunity, while Vasilj kept his side in contention with timely interventions.
The Swiss coach made three substitutions at once in the 71st minute, most notably bringing on Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas, with the pair going on to become the key figures in the win.
The opening goal arrived in the 74th minute when Manzambi seized on a ball inside the penalty area and fired powerfully into the top right corner to put Switzerland ahead.
Bosnia suffered a further blow in the 80th minute when defender Tarik Muharemović was sent off with a red card, leaving his side to see out the final minutes with 10 men.
Switzerland made full use of the numerical advantage, as Vargas added the second in the 84th minute after a precise pass from Breel Embolo, before Manzambi returned to score his second personal goal and Switzerland's third in the 90th minute, benefiting from a pass by Vargas.
Although substitute Ermin Mehmetović pulled a goal back for Bosnia and Herzegovina with a close-range finish inside the penalty area in the 90+3rd minute, Switzerland closed out the match in the best possible fashion when they were awarded a penalty in added time after Djibril Sow was fouled inside the box.
Captain Granit Xhaka stepped up and converted the kick in the 90+7th minute, rounding off the goal fest and confirming Switzerland's 4-1 victory.
With this win, Switzerland significantly strengthened their prospects of reaching the round of 16, while Bosnia and Herzegovina must now secure a positive result in the final matchday to keep their hopes alive.