Swiss misses give them World Cup headache after Qatar slipup

SANTA CLARA, California, June 13 : Switzerland were confident of having their best-ever World Cup run, but their journey became a whole lot more complex after an unfathomable bout of misfiring opened the door for unheralded Qatar to snatch a point in their Group B opener.

The Swiss swagger was abundant in the blazing sunshine on Saturday, as a side playing in their sixth successive World Cup delivered a California crowd-pleaser by laying siege to the Qatar goal for almost the entire match, with a whopping 26 attempts. 

They went ahead early through a Breel Embolo penalty but couldn't build on that, paying dearly for a stoppage-time defensive lapse that allowed Qatar to level, with Boualem Khoukhi's header going in off defender Miro Muheim, sparking jubilant scenes and leaving the Swiss shell-shocked.

While the match was historic for Qatar, who won their first-ever World Cup point, it was yet another one for the Swiss to forget in a tournament in which they're seemingly cursed after round-of-16 exits in five of their last six appearances.

No one will fault the charismatic Swiss coach Murat Yakin for his aggressive, all-out gameplan, but it was a match Switzerland should have won with ease.

With his front line stuttering, he may need a tactical rethink ahead of the remaining Group B games against more challenging opponents - co-hosts Canada and a potentially tricky Bosnia.

'BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD'

If Switzerland are to be dark horses at this World Cup, Yakin may have a lot of work to do.

"It really hurts a lot," he said, describing it as two points lost.

"Now we have to get back to the drawing board, assess the match and come back stronger."

Yakin ditched the back four that he had used in the qualifying campaign and opted for