dpa
Al Wakrah
Breel Embolo scored the 1-0 winner against his birth country Cameroon to give Switzerland a winning start into the World Cup on Thursday.
Monaco forward Embolo finished off a fine attacking move completely unmarked in the 48th minute of the opening game in Group G but kept his celebration to a minimum out of respect for his original homeland.
Embolo, 25, was born in Cameroon’s capital of Yaounde but moved to Switzerland with his family and received Swiss citizenship shortly after his 18th birthday.
Cameroon had missed three first-rate chances before the break as the 1990 quarter-finalists suffered an eighth straight World Cup defeat.
“I am extremely proud. It is a dream. The first World Cup goal and then against Cameroon. I am extremely proud for myself and my family,” Embolo told Swiss broadcasters SRF.
Like in 2018, Switzerland’s other two opponents in the group are record champions Brazil and Serbia who meet later Thursday.
The Swiss advanced four years ago along with Brazil but had a hard time at first against a firm Cameroon defence, with Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka and company lacking ideas to break it down.
And it was this year’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-finalists Cameroon who created the first telling chances against a Swiss team that had only let in two goals in qualifying for the Qatar tournament ahead of Italy who were then ousted in the play-offs.
In the 10th, Bryan Mbeumo took up a long ball but was denied by goalkeeper Yann Sommer and Karl Toko-Ekambi fired over on the rebound.
Shortly afterwards, in-form Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting also failed to beat Sommer, who was playing his first game after a weeks-long ankle injury, as Manuel Akanji raced back to put pressure on the striker.
The Swiss finally broke down Cameroon’s defence with a fast attacking move shortly after the restart which saw the ball come to Xherdan Shaqiri on the right wing and Embolo had acres of space in the middle to fire home Shaqiri’s low cross for a 1-0 lead.
The Indomitable Lions never recovered and their Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana did well to save from Ruben Vargas and Xhaka before Hasan Seferovic had a shot blocked in stoppage time.
“Congratulations to the team, all the best for Cameroon - and we will now continue,” Embolo said.
But Shaqiri said that more will be needed if they also want to prevail against Brazil on Monday and Serbia next week Friday.
“The first duty has been fulfilled, but now we clearly have to improve,” he said.
