For more than 70 minutes, Switzerland looked short on ideas. Then Johan Manzambi stepped onto the pitch and transformed the game. The 20-year-old substitute inspired a stunning late surge as Switzerland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 in Los Angeles to move within touching distance of the World Cup knockout rounds.
What had been a frustrating evening for Murat Yakin’s side suddenly exploded into life in the closing stages. Switzerland dominated possession throughout but struggled to break down a disciplined Bosnia defence that remained dangerous on the counterattack.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 74th minute, and it came from an unlikely source. Just 166 seconds after replacing Dan Ndoye, Manzambi met a loose ball inside the area and thundered a first-time volley into the roof of the net.
The goal changed everything.
Bosnia’s resistance quickly began to crumble. Six minutes later, Manzambi’s clever through ball released Breel Embolo, forcing defender Tarik Muharemovic into a desperate challenge. The Bosnia centre-back was shown a straight red card after bringing down the Swiss striker as the last man.
With the extra space available, Switzerland took full control. Embolo then turned provider, setting up fellow substitute Ruben Vargas, who calmly curled his finish beyond Nikola Vasilj to double the lead.
The Swiss were not done yet.
Vargas and Manzambi combined again on 90 minutes, with the Freiburg youngster arriving perfectly to score his second goal of the evening. Bosnia briefly gave their travelling supporters something to celebrate when Ermin Mahmic produced a superb volley to beat Gregor Kobel, but the comeback never looked likely.
Instead, Switzerland had the final word. Granit Xhaka calmly converted an injury-time penalty after Djibril Sow was fouled in the area, sealing an emphatic victory.
“It’s probably the best moment of my career so far,” Manzambi said afterwards. “We knew why we didn’t start well and we had to be patient but we’re a good team and I think we showed that.”
His impact was remarkable. Beyond the two goals, he recorded the most shots on target among Swiss players and repeatedly troubled Bosnia’s defence with direct running and intelligent movement.
The performance also underlined the value of Yakin’s squad depth. Switzerland named one of the oldest starting line-ups at the tournament, yet it was youthful energy from the bench that proved decisive when the game opened up.
For Bosnia, the defeat leaves their qualification hopes hanging by a thread. Veteran striker Edin Dzeko showed flashes of quality but lacked support as Switzerland’s pressure gradually wore his side down.
