Qatar score late to clinch draw with stunned Switzerland​

SANTA CLARA, California, June 13 (Reuters) – Qatar celebrated their first World Cup point in a 1-1 draw against ‌Switzerland as captain Boualem Khoukhi headed in a stoppage-time equaliser to send the Gulf nation into jubilation on Saturday.

Khoukhi rose highest to thump in Homam Ahmed’s cross on 94 minutes and cancel out a first-half Breel Embolo penalty, leaving the Swiss stunned and rueful ​after failing to convert 26 goal attempts to Qatar’s seven.

The result left Group B wide open, with ​all teams locked on a point each following co-hosts Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Qatar ⁠will be easily the most pleased among them, four years after their 2022 debut fell flat with a winless ​elimination on home soil.

The entire Qatar squad stormed on to the pitch after Khoukhi’s header fizzed by Swiss goalkeeper ​Gregor Kobel.

It was a galling outcome for the Swiss, who had taken the lead in the 17th minute with a penalty taken by Embolo after Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada smashed into Remo Freuler in the six-yard box.

Freuler ran onto a header by Embolo in the ​area, dinked the ball goalwards past Abunada and was met heavily by the Qatar stopper who came off second ​best in the clash.

Referee Said Martinez pointed straight at the spot but it took a long VAR check to confirm the ‌penalty while ⁠a prone Abunada — booked for the challenge — was attended to by medical staff.

While Michel Aebischer racked up a sixth Swiss shot on goal, stopped on the line deep into first-half stoppage time, Qatar’s attackers were left with scraps.

The Asian champions’ dangerman Akram Afif was well-shackled but found space down the flank late in the half to set ​up Edmilson for a one-time ​shot saved by Kobel.

With Qatar ⁠camped in rows in front of goal, the match meandered in the second half and a raft of substitutions on both sides of the drinks interval did nothing to ​break the stasis.

That was until Ahmed found Khoukhi with a sumptuous cross to snatch ​the draw.

Despite ⁠the official attendance of 67,966, there were banks of empty seats at the 70,000-seat home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers even if the crowd reached to the highest stands.

Red-clad Swiss were out in force and swamped a clump of thobe-wearing ⁠Qataris at ​one end.

Swiss captain Granit Xhaka and veteran full back Ricardo Rodriguez ​moved past Xherdan Shaqiri in their record 13th World Cup appearance for the nation.

Switzerland face Bosnia & Herzegovina at Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday, with ​Qatar heading north to meet co-hosts Canada in Vancouver on the same day.