Swiss youngster Johan Manzambi scored twice in last night’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, writing his name into FIFA World Cup history.
Manzambi came off the bench at the age of 20 years and 247 days and scored a brace, becoming the youngest player ever to score two goals in a single World Cup match.
In the 97th minute, Switzerland were awarded a penalty. Manzambi approached team captain Granit Xhaka, and after a brief conversation, Xhaka stepped up to take the spot-kick himself, calmly converting it to seal a 4-0 victory.
Had Xhaka allowed Manzambi to take the penalty and score, the young Swiss forward would have become the third-youngest player ever to score a hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup, joining an exclusive list alongside Brazil’s Pelé and Germany’s Edmund Conen.
“We have rules within the team. He’s young and has a bright future ahead of him, but penalties should be taken by experienced players. His time to take them will come,” Xhaka said.
Meanwhile, Manzambi appeared to have no hard feelings about his captain’s decision.
“I asked him if he was going to take it, and he said yes. He scored, so I’m happy too. The victory is much more important than me scoring a hat-trick,” Manzambi said.