Switzerland defeated Algeria 2-0 on Thursday night to advance to the Round of 16 in the World Cup. Breel Embolo scored the opening goal, and Dan Ndoye added another early in the second half to secure the victory for the Swiss.
Switzerland will face the winner of the upcoming match between Colombia and Ghana in the next round, which is scheduled for next Tuesday in Vancouver. This marks Switzerland's advancement to the knockout stage for the fourth consecutive World Cup, though they have not won a knockout-round match since 1938.
Algeria, participating in the World Cup for the first time since 2014, was eliminated after this match. The team had previously reached the knockout round in 2014 but lost to eventual champion Germany.
Embolo opened the scoring with a tap-in after a cross from Johan Manzambi, marking his 26th international goal. Less than a minute into the second half, Ndoye extended Switzerland's lead with a powerful shot from the top of the box that Algeria's goalkeeper Luca Zidane could not save.
Fabian Rieder nearly scored a third goal for Switzerland in the 81st minute but missed a close-range opportunity. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was in attendance, having also watched the Spain vs. Austria match earlier in the day.
Algeria had advanced to this stage after a 3-3 draw against Austria, which secured their progression but eliminated Iran. Algeria's captain Riyad Mahrez scored two goals in that match.
In their previous game, Switzerland secured a 2-1 win against Canada, with goals from Rubén Vargas and Manzambi. The victory ended Canada's hopes of playing a knockout-round game on home soil. Switzerland had a week off following that match, returning to their training base in San Diego.
Manzambi, 20, has emerged as a key player for Switzerland in the tournament, contributing two goals and two assists. He started the World Cup as a substitute but has since earned a starting role in the team's last two games.
Algeria's head coach, Vladimir Petkovic, has a history with the Swiss team, having coached them from 2014 to 2021. He led Switzerland to the group stage exit in the 2018 World Cup and to the quarterfinals of the 2020 European Championships.