The hype around Johan Manzambi will only heighten after his star turn from the substitutes’ bench helped Switzerland out of a hole and got their World Cup truly up and running. The 20-year-old managed to excel despite Freiburg’s comprehensive Europa League final defeat against Aston Villa last month and, with 73 minutes gone and 166 seconds after entering as part of a transformative triple substitution here, his superb volley put an end to a sterile contest, hooking a right-foot shot into the Bosnia and Herzegovina net.
Until that point Switzerland had another eight fruitless shots to file with the 26 they mustered in their disappointing opening draw against Qatar, their sole goal a Breel Embolo penalty. Things kept unravelling in the final third. But Manzambi brought great poise and scored twice, his first when he lashed Amar Memic’s headed clearance past Nikola Vasilj and the second understated but sumptuous. It was also Manzambi’s feathery pass that released Embolo on goal, prompting the defender Tarik Muharemovic to lunge in and leave Bosnia and Herzegovina with 10 men, before Rubén Vargas and Granit Xhaka, with the final kick, completed the scoring.
