Embolo scores in Switzerland win

AL WAKRAH: Breel Embolo’s goal lifted Switzerland to a 1-0 win over Cameroon at the World Cup on Thursday and he kept his promise not to celebrate scoring against the country where he was born.

The Swiss forward from Yaounde struck with his right foot in the 48th minute, standing all alone eight metres out in the middle of the goalmouth to take Xherdan Shaqiri’s low pass.

Embolo then pursed his lips in a wry smile and held his arms out wide, before raising his hands in a gesture of apology as teammates rushed to him near the penalty spot.

He pointed toward Swiss fans behind the goal where he had scored then to Cameroon fans at the opposite corner of Al Janoub stadium.

The 25-year-old forward left Cameroon with his family when he was five. They spent time in France before settling in Switzerland, the country he is now representing at a second World Cup.

Though an African- born player scored, teams from Africa are now scoreless through the four games they have played at this World Cup. All have played higher-ranked teams, and Morocco and Tunisia earned 0- 0 draws against Croatia and Denmark respectively. Cameroon’s streak of losses at World Cup finals tournaments extended to eight games dating back to 2002.

Brazil and Serbia are also in Group G and they meet later Thursday.

In the move for Embolo to score, it was too easy for the Swiss to pass the ball quickly through the Cameroon defensive lines from left flank to right. Cameroon wasted a chance in the 10th minute when Karl Toko Ekambi fired a halfvolley high over the bar from 10 metres.

Cameroon exerted little pressure trying to level the game. Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s header in the 66th was aimed directly at goalkeeper Yann Sommer who saved easily.