Switzerland 4-1 Jordan, a friendly only in name as Murat Yakin ran a full audit of his World Cup pool and Jamal Sellami was left measuring the gap that still exists. Three days on from the downpour in St Gallen, the hosts leave Kybunpark with answers in every line of their 3-4-3 while Jordan’s 5-3-2 creaked under pressure.
Yakin’s structure looked settled. Remo Freuler drew a VAR-confirmed penalty in the 26th minute, Breel Embolo converting in the 28th minute to reward Switzerland’s early wave. The second goal, in the 33rd minute, came once Michel Aebischer found Dan Ndoye inside the box. Momentum never eased, and when another VAR check at 45+8 confirmed a handball, Granit Xhaka buried the 45th-minute penalty to send the Swiss in with a three-goal cushion.
Heavy rain forced a long interruption before the interval, stretching stoppage time and underlining why the first half felt like two separate acts. The pause did not cool Yakin’s intent. He made seven changes at the restart, introducing Marvin Keller, Ricardo Rodriguez, Silvan Widmer, Christian Fassnacht, Zeki Amdouni, Ardon Jashari and Luca Jaquez to reshape every line while keeping only Manuel Akanji and Embolo from the starting spine on the pitch.
Sellami adjusted too, introducing Saleem Obaid, Ibrahim Sa'deh, Anas Badawi and Odeh Al Fakhouri at the break, and Jordan finally played through the press. Mousa Tamari threaded the 52nd-minute assist for Al Fakhouri to score, their best attacking sequence and a reminder of Tamari’s value. Six minutes later Tamari thought he had earned a penalty, only for VAR to cancel the call in the 58th minute, a setback that stalled Jordan’s surge.
Switzerland’s bench depth then closed the show. Fassnacht, on since half-time, drove the hosts back into Jordan’s half and took his own chance in the 79th minute. By then Djibril Sow, Miro Muheim, Eray Cömert and Cédric Itten had joined the rotation, proving Yakin can triple-stack positions without losing rhythm.
Key numbers
- Possession: Switzerland 70 percent, Jordan 30 percent
- Shots: Switzerland 19 total, 10 on target; Jordan 12 total, 4 on target
- Pass accuracy: Switzerland 92 percent (605 of 656), Jordan 81 percent (219 of 272)
- Corners: Switzerland 6, Jordan 4
Understand the Swiss camp is recording how effectively the first-choice spine feeds the second string. Freuler, Xhaka and Embolo set the tone, but Jashari and Amdouni kept circulation high, and Rodriguez’s left-foot distribution preserved width even after Nico Elvedi went off. The consistent supply explains why Switzerland produced 14 shots inside the box.
For Sellami, the lesson sits out wide. His 5-3-2 depends on wing-backs escaping pressure, yet Ehsan Haddad and Mohannad Abu Taha were pinned back, forcing Mousa Tamari to drop ever deeper. Once Jordan shifted to a back four with Obaid and Badawi on the flanks, Tamari finally received the ball facing forward, which is how the visitors crafted their goal.
Next steps are immediate. Yakin has to trim this group before the final June camp and ensure fitness for the remaining warm-ups. Sellami, meanwhile, takes Jordan to another European friendly later this month seeking sharper defensive rotations and quicker release for Tamari. For a broader view of this international window, check our looks at Croatia vs Belgium and Morocco vs Madagascar.
