Confirmed World Cup line-ups as Switzerland face Qatar in California | OneFootball

Switzerland begin their World Cup campaign in California against Qatar, with both starting XIs confirmed. Qatar, the back-to-back Asian champions and 2022 hosts, lost all three group games on debut, while Switzerland have reached the last 16 at the past three tournaments.

BuLi News notes that head coach Murat Yakin, a former Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern defender, has named nine Bundesliga-based players in his squad.

Gregor Kobel and Nico Elvedi start, with Silvan Widmer (Mainz), Miro Muheim (HSV), Johan Manzambi (Freiburg), Fabian Rieder (Augsburg), Aurèle Amenda (Eintracht Frankfurt), Luca Jaquez (Stuttgart) and Cedric Itten (Fortuna Düsseldorf) among the options on the bench.

A further eight squad members have Bundesliga experience, including captain Granit Xhaka, Manuel Akanji, Dennis Zakaria, Ricardo Rodriguez, Ruben Vargas and Breel Embolo, all of whom start.

Qatar name Homam Ahmed in their XI, fresh from promotion to Segunda División with Cultural Leonesa. The 26-year-old full-back is the only player in Julen Lopetegui’s 26-man squad based outside Qatar.

Switzerland: Kobel, Elvedi, Akanji, Zakaria, Rodriguez, Freuler, Xhaka (c), Aebischer, Ndoye, Vargas, Embolo. Qatar: Abunada, Al-Oui, Pedro Miguel, Khoukhi (c), Al Amin, Madibo, Laye, Gaber, Edmilson Junior, Abdurisag, Afif.

Source: BuLi News