Kwadwo Duah nets his first goal for Switzerland in win over Hungary at Euro 2024

Substitute Breel Embolo sealed victory on his first international appearance since December 2022

(AFP via Getty Images)

Kwadwo Duah’s maiden goal for Switzerland helped kick off their Euro 2024 campaign with a 3-1 victory over Hungary at Cologne Stadium.

The 27-year-old had played just 45 minutes for the Swiss senior side, and had to wait for VAR to confirm his milestone moment after he found the back of the net 12 minutes into the Group A contest.

Michel Aebischer, who assisted the opener, made it two on the stroke of half-time with his own first international goal, while Barnabas Varga’s second-half header denied Murat Yakin’s men a clean sheet after the break.

Group A rivals Scotland might have been hoping for a draw, but Hungary were ultimately buried by a costly mistake in the third minute of stoppage time that allowed substitute Breel Embolo to seal victory on his first international appearance since December 2022.

Roland Sallai had an early chance for Hungary, whose first-half opportunities were few and far between but sent it clear of the crossbar, two minutes before Duah slotted in the opener from the edge of the area.

Hungary applied a bit more pressure late in the half but were on the wrong side of a 2-0 deficit when Bologna’s Aebischer curled around a crowd past a diving Peter Gulacsi to double Switzerland’s advantage in the 45th minute.

Hungary were a much improved side to start the second half and perhaps should have halved the deficit when Varga nodded Sallai’s pinpoint delivery wide, redeeming himself when he stooped to nod Dominik Szoboszlai’s delivery home in the 66th minute.

Hungary’s hopes of staging a comeback were fully crushed when they completely misplayed a defensive header, instead gifting substitute Embolo – who in recent years has been plagued by injury – a chance to emphatically mark his comeback.