Switzerland uses ‘law of the ex’ to defeat Cameroon and debut with victory in Brazil’s group in the World Cup

Upon completing a cross to the goal 4 minutes into the second half, Breel Embolo did not celebrate. The Swiss bank players exploded with the move that gave the team an advantage in the World Cup debut. The companions rushed to embrace him. But the 25-year-old scorer remained unmoved.

It was the move that defined Switzerland’s 1-0 victory over Cameroon this Thursday (25), at the Al Janoub stadium, in Al Wakrah. It was the debut of the two teams in Qatar.

The leading name in Swiss football, Embolo was born in Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital.

After his parents’ separation, he moved with his mother to France when he was five. He moved to Switzerland the following year and received Swiss citizenship in 2014.

Switzerland usually takes multicultural teams to the World Cup. This can cause controversy. Striker Xherdan Shaqiri is from Kosovo, the same ancestry as midfielder Granit Xhaka, who also has Albanian blood. The duo caused confusion in 2018 when celebrating a goal against Serbia. The two made a gesture that resembled a double-headed eagle, a symbol that is on the flag of Albania.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and the dispute still inflames tensions in the region. They ended up fined by FIFA.

Switzerland and Serbia are in Group G of this year’s World Cup and will face each other again in the last round, on the 2nd.

Swiss often form an unusual selection at the tournament. In 2018, they stopped Brazil in a 1-1 draw (and the teams will meet on Monday, the 28th) and advanced to the round of 16 with morale. They were eliminated by a Sweden that looked far from their best football. In 2006, they fell again in the round of 16 without conceding a goal during the entire World Cup.

In the United States, in 1994, they beat Romania 4-1, which would be the sensation of the tournament, but they did not see the color of the ball against Spain, again in the round of 16.

Cameroon performed better on the pitch than might have been expected. It was the most discredited African team. He put pressure on Switzerland at different times in the match and had chances to score. This is the team that unexpectedly qualified after scoring against Algeria, away from home, in the last play of extra time in the continent’s qualifiers.

Switzerland have the same base that knocked out world champions France in last year’s Euro Cup round of 16.

Embolo’s goal was one of the rare moments in which Al Janoub was noisy in the early afternoon of this Thursday (in Qatar time, the match started at 1 pm). With a capacity of 40,000 people, the stadium had several places with empty seats and appeared to have received only half of its occupancy. Despite this, the public disclosed was almost total: 39 thousand people.

There was little World Cup atmosphere. Only two sectors, one occupied by Cameroonians and the other by Swiss, tried to cheer up the public in the first arena completed to host the event. Construction that caused controversy too, for an unusual reason.

Designed by Iraqi architect Zara Hadid, the inspiration for the shape of the ceiling was that of a sailboat typical of the region. But when comparisons began on social media to female genitalia, there was embarrassment from Qatari officials.

If Switzerland have Brazil as their next opponent, Cameroon will need to get a good result against Serbia, also next Monday, to continue with chances of qualifying.

In the final minutes, the Africans were unable to push the team to a draw. Only when six minutes of added time were announced did the Swiss start to sing. It lasted 30 seconds.