By Ian Ransom
SANTA CLARA, California, June 13 (Reuters) - Qatar celebrated their first World Cup point in a 1-1 draw against Switzerland as captain Boualem Khoukhi headed in a stoppage-time equaliser to send the Gulf nation into jubilation on Saturday.
Khoukhi rose highest to thump in Homam Ahmed's cross on 94 minutes and cancel out a first-half Breel Embolo penalty, leaving the Swiss stunned and rueful after failing to convert 26 goal attempts to Qatar's seven.
The result left Group B wide open, with
all teams locked on a point each following co-hosts Canada's 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Qatar will be easily the most pleased among them, four years after their 2022 debut fell flat with a winless elimination on home soil.
The entire Qatar squad stormed on to the pitch after Khoukhi's header fizzed by Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
It was a galling outcome for the Swiss, who had taken the lead in the 17th minute with a penalty taken by Embolo after Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada smashed into Remo Freuler in the six-yard box.
Freuler ran onto a header by Embolo in the area, dinked the ball goalwards past Abunada and was met heavily by the Qatar stopper who came off second best in the clash.
Referee Said Martinez pointed straight at the spot but it took a long VAR check to confirm the penalty while a prone Abunada -- booked for the challenge -- was attended to by medical staff.
While Michel Aebischer racked up a sixth Swiss shot on goal, stopped on the line deep into first-half stoppage time, Qatar's attackers were left with scraps.
QATAR DANGERMAN
The Asian champions' dangerman Akram Afif was well-shackled but found space down the flank late in the half to set up Edmilson for a one-time shot saved by Kobel.
With Qatar camped in rows in front of goal, the match meandered in the second half and a raft of substitutions on both sides of the drinks interval did nothing to break the stasis.
That was until Ahmed found Khoukhi with a sumptuous cross to snatch the draw.
Despite the official attendance of 67,966, there were banks of empty seats at the 70,000-seat home of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers even if the crowd reached to the highest stands.
Red-clad Swiss were out in force and swamped a clump of thobe-wearing Qataris at one end.
Swiss captain Granit Xhaka and veteran full back Ricardo Rodriguez moved past Xherdan Shaqiri in their record 13th World Cup appearance for the nation.
Switzerland face Bosnia & Herzegovina at Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday, with Qatar heading north to meet co-hosts Canada in Vancouver on the same day.
(Reporting by Martin Petty, editing by Ed Osmond)
