VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Johan Manzambi may not a super sub for Switzerland at the World Cup much longer.
Manzambi came off the bench and scored two goals in Switzerland’s 4-1 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday. The 20-year-old midfielder’s performance spurred speculation about whether he might be moved into the starting lineup for Switzerland’s Group B finale against Canada on Wednesday.
A win would give the Swiss the top spot in the group. Coach Murat Yakin wasn’t revealing his plans for Manzambi on Tuesday.
“For me, Johan is an option both as a starter and as a substitute. I have different possibilities available, and that’s why the team itself will only find out tomorrow who will start,” Yakin said.
Manzambi helped German club Freiburg reach the Europa League final this season. Even before his performance against Bosnia, Manzambi had drawn interest from clubs including Chelsea and Manchester United.
He had the first brace of his international career against Bosnia, becoming the youngest player to score two goals off the bench in the World Cup He has five goals in 15 international appearances.
Canada coach Jesse Marsch already had Manzambi on his radar.
“I think Manzambi had a really good club year as well, and we’ve been tracking him and thinking that maybe he could factor in more and more with this team. ... There’s a few young players that I think are developing within this experienced squad that they have, whether Manzambi starts tomorrow or comes off the bench, we will be prepared for what he brings into the game,” Marsh said. “I think he’s a real talented player that has a big future.”
The Swiss opened the World Cup with a lackluster 1-1 draw against Qatar before they routed Bosnia with a flurry of late goals. Considered the favorite in Group B, Switzerland has played in the last five World Cups, advancing to the round of 16 in the past three.
The Swiss are all but assured a spot in the next stage, but Canada is determined to win the group and stay in Vancouver — home to Canada’s training base — for the round of 32. Canada needs a win or a draw on Wednesday to top the group.
Switzerland has the same objective.
“If we are at the top of the table, we have a couple of days more to recover, and that is always an advantage, and our opponent knows that as well. We’ll start tomorrow, and we will see how the match will go, because Canada is going to be a very strong opponent, and they will ask a lot of us, and then we will see what the outcome will be,” Yakin said. “We want to win, of course. This is always important for me as a coach.”
One question mark for Switzerland is the status of Noah Okafor, who was working his way back from a calf injury. Yakin said the game situation will determine whether Okafor plays.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press
