Swiss coach 'optimistic' despite poor start to World Cup
June 20, 2026 · Global
Switzerland coach Murat Yakin remains optimistic despite a disappointing start to the World Cup, ahead of a crucial match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Switzerland are already under pressure just one game into the World Cup. Coach Murat Yakin said his team still had a lot of time to achieve their desired goals. Switzerland know they are under pressure when they face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday at Los Angeles Stadium, in the second group game for both teams. 19th-ranked Switzerland were widely favored to progress to the next round as the highest-ranked and most accomplished team in their group, but Die Nati surprisingly lost their opening match in Northern California last weekend. Qatar managed to equalize 1-1 by scoring a goal in the fourth minute of added time in the second half. That means Switzerland must get strong results from their next two games to avoid an embarrassing result for a team that still believes they have a chance of winning their first World Cup knockout round match since 1938. "I'm optimistic," Yakin said on Wednesday evening through a translator. "I believe in my players. We have an experienced team, and they know how to deal with pressure very well. ... Of course we expected a different start. We have to stay focused, but the way we played was certainly positive. However, we can't buy anything with that yet." Some of that pressure may be in the dressing room: Swiss media reported this week that some players were unhappy with veteran captain Granit Xhaka, who sharply criticized his team — including himself — both privately and publicly after the opening match. Xhaka's edgy approach to sport is well known from his club career in England and Germany. Swiss midfielder Remo Freuler did not confirm reports of tension in the dressing room, but said intensity should not be a topic of debate at the World Cup. “Yes, Granit is someone who is very open, and he may express criticism, but that is also very important,” Freuler said. "He is very open and speaks freely about these things. If you are too sensitive, maybe football is not for you, because we have to examine these things and we have to be critical." Switzerland's only goal against Qatar came from the penalty spot even though they controlled 68% of the ball, had seven shots on goal and generated chances equal to 3.20 expected goals. Switzerland realized that they had let Qatar hold out for too long, and it was costing them dearly. "We saw that it was very important to stay focused until the end of the match," Yakin said. "The way we played was good if you look at the statistics, but it doesn't buy anything because we lost two points." A strong result against Bosnia will almost certainly be necessary to keep Switzerland's hopes of World Cup success alive, as their next match is against Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Bosnian team is also expecting a big fan presence in Los Angeles. Die Nati have lost seven games in a row in the knockout rounds of the World Cup, and even reaching the knockout rounds in North America is not certain. Bosnia opened last weekend's tournament by holding co-hosts Canada to a draw, putting in another strong performance after their fortunate run to a berth in the second World Cup in their history. The Dragons beat Wales and Italy in March to clinch an unlikely qualification. "We have a lot of respect for Switzerland, but we have shown in the past that we can beat strong opponents," said Dragons coach Sergej Barbarez. "I hope we can confirm our current form."