Switzerland beat Colombia on penalties to reach first quarterfinal since 1954
CANADA: Switzerland booked their place in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since hosting the tournament in 1954, edging Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a tense but goalless round of 16 encounter in Vancouver.
With clear-cut chances few and far between, both teams struggled to break the deadlock over 120 minutes. The Swiss remained composed against a spirited Colombia side backed by a passionate crowd before Ruben Vargas calmly converted the decisive spot-kick to seal a 4-3 shootout victory.
Despite missing young midfielder Johan Manzambi, who was ruled out after suffering an injury in training on Monday, Switzerland showed resilience to secure a historic win. They will now face defending champions Argentina in the quarter-finals on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City after Lionel Messi’s side defeated Egypt 3-2 earlier in the day.
