VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Johan Manzambi started a World Cup match for Switzerland for the first time, and he started the second half of that match by putting his team ahead by two goals.
The 20-year-old winger, who came off the bench in Switzerland's opening two matches of this year's tournament, set up Ruben Vargas with a cross for the opening goal in a 2-1 victory over Canada only seconds after the second half started. He then added his own goal 11 minutes later by slipping a shot past Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.
With the victory on Wednesday, Switzerland won Group B and will stay in Vancouver for the round of 32 against one of the eight best third-place finishers.
The goals on Wednesday weren't Manzambi's first of this year's World Cup. He scored twice in the 4-1 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina as a substitute.
In the 74th minute against Bosnia, Manzambi volleyed in a ball from near the penalty spot to finally give his team the lead. He scored a second goal on a one-touch finish in the 90th.
That impressive performance must have made an impact on coach Murat Yakin, who gave Manzambi his first World Cup start against Canada in a match with major implications.
Although still young, Manzambi has been making a mark on the game.
In his second match for Switzerland last June, Manzambi scored a goal and had an assist in a 4-0 victory over the United States.
At club level, he also had an impressive year, scoring five goals and adding four assists for Bundesliga club Freiburg. He helped the team reach this year's Europa League final, the closest the club has ever come to a continental trophy.
Now at the World Cup, the grandest stage in soccer, Manzambi's efforts helped Switzerland reach the knockout stage for a fourth consecutive time.
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Ben Kule is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
