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By Matthew Davis
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Johan Manzambi produced a breakout game for Switzerland in his second World Cup appearance on Thursday.
Manzambi scored twice in the 4-1 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it’s safe to say Manzambi is on his way to becoming a household name in soccer. At least for those who didn’t know about Manzambi before Thursday’s win. After all, his debut came in the first match arrived by his coming off the bench in the 65th minute.
"We give him so much freedom, he can create pressure, dribbling, he can work on the finishes, score goals,” Switzerland head caoch Murat Yakin told reporters on Thursday. “He was very important to us as a substitute in the past and we are so happy to have him on our team. He was so important for today's match.”
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"He put a lot of pressure on the opponent,” Yakin continued. “He is a player who can surprise us. He surprises us as well as the opponent. He can come through the centre or the sides."
Manzambi is 20 years old, and the 6-foot-0 midfielder is a promising talent. He has played professionally with the SC Freiburg organization in Germany since 2024, and he became part of the Swiss national team in 2025 after playing for the junior teams from U18 to U20 between 2023 and 2024.
The Geneva, Switzerland, native has been playing soccer since age four, and his career is only climbing. Bigger-name soccer clubs are already interested in the young star, and his stock could keep climbing during the World Cup.
Switzerland looks poised to advance to the knockout round with a 1-0-1 record, so odds are high fans will get at least two more looks at Manzambi. The Swiss take on Canada in a June 24 match to decide Group B.
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