Qatar punished a wasteful Switzerland performance with a 95th-minute equaliser to earn their first point in World Cup finals history.<\/p>\n
Boualem Khoukhi rose highest to thump in Homam Ahmed\u2019s cross on 94 minutes and cancel out a first-half Breel Embolo penalty, leaving the Swiss stunned and rueful after failing to convert 26 goal attempts to Qatar\u2019s seven.<\/p>\n
The result left Group B wide open, with all teams locked on a point each following co-hosts Canada\u2019s 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina.<\/p>\n
Qatar will be easily the most pleased among them, four years after their 2022 debut fell flat with a winless elimination on home soil.<\/p>\n
The entire Qatar squad stormed on to the pitch after Khoukhi\u2019s header fizzed by Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.<\/p>\n
It was a galling outcome for the Swiss, who had taken the lead in the 17th minute with a penalty taken by Embolo after Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada smashed into Remo Freuler in the six-yard box.<\/p>\n
Freuler ran onto a header by Embolo in the area, dinked the ball goalwards past Abunada and was met heavily by the Qatar stopper who came off second best in the clash.<\/p>\n
Referee Said Martinez pointed straight at the spot but it took a long VAR check to confirm the penalty while a prone Abunada \u2014 booked for the challenge \u2014 was attended to by medical staff.<\/p>\n
While Michel Aebischer racked up a sixth Swiss shot on goal, stopped on the line deep into first-half stoppage time, Qatar\u2019s attackers were left with scraps.<\/p>\n
The Asian champions\u2019 dangerman Akram Afif was well-shackled but found space down the flank late in the half to set up Edmilson for a one-time shot saved by Kobel.<\/p>\n
With Qatar camped in rows in front of goal, the match meandered in the second half and a raft of substitutions on both sides of the drinks interval did nothing to break the stasis.<\/p>\n
That was until Ahmed found Khoukhi with a sumptuous cross to snatch the draw.<\/p>\n
Despite the official attendance of 67,966, there were banks of empty seats at the 70,000-seat home of the NFL\u2019s San Francisco 49ers even if the crowd reached to the highest stands.<\/p>\n
Red-clad Swiss were out in force and swamped a clump of thobe-wearing Qataris at one end.<\/p>\n
Swiss captain Granit Xhaka and veteran full back Ricardo Rodriguez moved past Xherdan Shaqiri in their record 13th World Cup appearance for the nation.<\/p>\n
Switzerland face Bosnia & Herzegovina at Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday, with Qatar heading north to meet co-hosts Canada in Vancouver on the same day.<\/p>\n