VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Johan Manzambi, Switzerland’s breakout star world cupfinished training early Monday in preparation for Tuesday’s Round of 16 match against Colombia.
The team announced that Manzambi, Ruben Vargas and Djibril Sow had all cut training short, but did not provide further details.
“If they might not play tomorrow, it could be a big problem for us,” coach Murat Yakin said. “We’ll see what happens this afternoon because they’re going to have their medicals, but this is football. You always have to adjust until the last moment.”
The possibility of losing Manzambi is a concern for the Swiss. The 20-year-old midfielder has scored three goals in this tournament, showing his versatility in disrupting opponents.
“He is on his way to becoming a very good player,” Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka said. “He is young, hungry and will be a great addition to our team.”
Vargas, who plays for Sevilla in La Liga, is Switzerland’s main midfielder, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
Defender Luka Jaquez and midfielder Michel Ebisichel, who have appeared in two games, have not practiced and may not play, the team announced.
“Everyone wants to play. We have a lot of different options,” Yakin said. “If something happens, it won’t be a disaster. I saw two very good practices yesterday and the day before yesterday, and I’m very optimistic. This is obviously part of football. If you practice one day before a game, it’s not ideal. … With Johan Manzambi, it’s probably going to be a little difficult. I hope it doesn’t happen. Everything is still up in the air.”
Manzambi was not a starter when the World Cup began, but played his part in the Switzerland game by scoring two goals off the bench. 4-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. He became the youngest player to score two goals as a substitute in a World Cup match.
He started in Switzerland’s group final against Canada and scored in a 2-1 win.
In Switzerland’s Round of 32 match against Algeria, Manzambi showed off his speed, darting downfield and crossing to Breel Embolo for the opening goal. with a 2-0 win.
Dan Ndoye, who scored Switzerland’s other goal, said: “What he’s doing at this age is unbelievable.” “He’s been an unbelievable player for us and helped us take the next step. And I think he also has a lot of things to improve on, but yeah, he makes us very good and we’re really happy to have him in the team.”
Manzambi plays for Freiburg in the Bundesliga and has enjoyed a breakthrough season for the club. He started 26 games for the club, scoring five goals and providing four assists, helping the club reach the Europa League final, where they lost to Aston Villa.
If Switzerland wins on Tuesday, it will advance to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1954.
Colombia beat Ghana 1-0 Los Cafeteros reached the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but lost 2-1 to the hosts. Colombia did not qualify for the 2022 Qatar national team.
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