By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
…Set up quarterfinal against Messi’s Argentina on July 12
THE RED Crosses of Switzerland on Tuesday in Vancouver crossed the Coffee Growers of Columbia 4-3 via penalty shootouts into their 4th quarterfinal at the world cup in history.
The battle was severe with aerial, land and inter ballistic bombardments employed by both sides but the match ended goalless after 120 minutes of energy sapping play.
As the game entered the game of death (penalty shootouts) the Coffee Growers won the toss for the 1st kick. Diego Sanchez lost the 2nd kick while J. Fernandez lost the 4th kick, but Quintero got the 1st kick, J. Campus the 3rd and L. Diaz scored the 5th which could only make three out of five kicks.
.
The Swiss pushed forward Xhaka 9f Arsenal who scored the 1st kick, Amdouni scored the 2nd kick but their Dean of Defence, Nigeria’s Manuel Akanji lost his kick.
Itten scored his own kick and R. Vargas stepped forward to score the winning kick for Switzerland to repeat the previous three quarterfinal appearances of 1934, 1938 and 1954.
This is the 13th appearances of 19th ranked Red Crosses in the world at the mundial.
The Coffee Growers ranked 13th in the world going back to their farms came for the 7th time and only made the quarterfinals at the 2014 world cup tournament.
Switzerland will now meet Argentina in the 4th quarterfinal on 12th July.
Other Quarterfinal matches are France Versus Morocco on Thursday at Boston. The Moroccan Minister of Sports told the Media on Tuesday that Morocco is not representing Africa though it qualified per move of the Confederation of African football CAF.
He said Morocco is on her own and does not in any way need any African supporter boasting the country has what it takes to lift the world cup trophy.
On Friday Spain will slug it out against Belgium at Los Angeles from 8.00pm.
And on Saturday at 10.00pm in Miami Gardens it will be the Three Lions of England versus Vikings (Warriors) of Norway.
#FIFA #2026WORLDCUP #EUFA #CONMEBOL #ASF-SFV #FCF #NFF
—
