Sarah Stier – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye each scored to lead Switzerland to a 2-0 victory over Algeria on Thursday night, securing their place in the round of 16 at the World Cup.
The Swiss team will face the winner of the upcoming match on Friday between Colombia and Ghana in Kansas City, Missouri, with their round-of-16 match scheduled for next Tuesday in Vancouver.
Switzerland has not secured a victory in a knockout-round match since 1938 in France, although they did win a playoff match in 1954 to reach the quarterfinals.
Despite advancing to the round of 16 in each of the last three World Cups, Switzerland has struggled to go further, competing against a smaller field of 32 teams in those tournaments. Algeria, making its return to the World Cup since 2014, was eliminated despite having progressed to the knockout stage in the past, where they lost to the eventual champions, Germany.
Algeria started strong and controlled the first 10 minutes of the match until Johan Manzambi sprinted down the right flank and set up Embolo for an easy finish. Embolo marked his 26th international goal with a knee slide celebration.
Just seconds into the second half, Ndoye found the back of the net with a powerful shot from outside the box that even diving Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane could not save.
Fabian Rieder almost added a third goal for Switzerland in the 81st minute but failed to convert from close range as the ball slid past the Algerian goal.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the match, marking his second game of the day after watching the clash between Spain and Austria in Inglewood, California, earlier.
Algeria qualified for the knockout stage as a third-place team after a thrilling 3-3 draw against Austria last Saturday in Kansas City, which allowed both teams to move forward while eliminating Iran. Algeria’s captain Riyad Mahrez, aged 35, scored twice in that match.
In their previous game, Switzerland defeated Canada 2-1 on Wednesday, ending Canada’s chance to compete in their first knockout-round match on home turf. Instead, Switzerland will make the trip back to Vancouver for the next round.
The Swiss squad enjoyed a week’s break, returning to their training base in San Diego. Manzambi, 20, has emerged as a standout player for Switzerland this tournament, contributing two goals and two assists. Initially coming off the bench, he secured a starting position in the last two matches.
Algeria’s head coach, Vladimir Petkovic, formerly led Switzerland from 2014 to 2021, guiding the team past the group stage in the 2018 World Cup and reaching the quarterfinals of the 2020 European Championships.