Switzerland remained patient and took advantage of the right substitutes at the right time to edge past Colombia on penalties on Tuesday and reach the World Cup quarter-finals, Swiss coach Murat Yakin said.
The shootout turned in Switzerland’s favor when goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved Cucho Hernandez’s penalty after Davinson Sánchez had previously hit the crossbar for Colombia.
Substitute Ruben Vargas then converted the winning penalty for Switzerland to beat the South Americans 4-3 after a match that finished 0-0 after 120 minutes.
He was one of several substitutions, including striker Cedric Itten a few minutes earlier and Zeki Amdouni a little later, who refreshed the Swiss frontline after the 87th minute.
“It was hard at first, but we stuck with it and showed a great mentality,” Yakin said. «Then I used the right players at the right time. Ultimately, it was important that the players who scored the penalties were also on the field.»
READ ALSO | Egyptian national coach Hossam Hassan accuses FIFA of cronyism
Vargas, who came on in injury time in the second half, kept his cool moments later and sent his team through to the first World Cup quarter-final since 1954. Earlier, fellow substitute Amdouni had calmly converted his penalty.
“It was just amazing to see him get the Vargas penalty. I was so relieved and happy,” Yakin said. «This is a historic moment. We have achieved the best ever for the Swiss team, but the journey continues.»
Yakin had to improvise before the match, with midfielder Johan Manzambi ruled out due to an injury he sustained in training on Monday. Yakin said replacement Ardon Jashari did a good job.
«Every little decision was important. Every piece of the puzzle fit. Johan’s absence was a bitter blow, but we did well as a team. We knew it was a historic match, round 16 and a chance to be part of the last eight is not an everyday occurrence,» said Yakin.
«We are getting into the flow and have to slowly process what happened. It was an incredible victory. We had to remain very patient, but we delivered a top performance today, so I am very happy with my players.»
Vargas, whose team had lost the previous Euro 2024 quarter-final shootout to England, felt no nerves, he said.
«I had to believe in myself. I felt very safe and secure,» Vargas said. “It was great that I could score the decisive penalty.”
Switzerland next plays Argentina, who made an exciting comeback earlier on Tuesday by beating Egypt 3-2.
Published on July 8, 2026
