Newcastle United transfer target Johan Manzambi continued his stellar World Cup campaign with a dazzling assist for Switzerland against Algeria in Vancouver, prompting fans to hail it as one of the best of the tournament.
Manzambi's Assist Stuns Algeria
The 20-year-old Freiburg midfielder picked up the ball just inside the Algeria half, drove forward into the box, beat his marker Aissa Mandi with a mix of power and finesse, and squared across for Breel Embolo to tap home. Switzerland won the Round of 32 tie 2-0, with Nottingham Forest's Dan Ndoye adding a second goal in the second half.
With the assist, Manzambi became the youngest player to reach five World Cup goal involvements since 1966, at 20 years and 261 days. He has three goals and two assists in the tournament, having started the first two group matches on the bench before cementing a starting spot.
Fans Hail 'Best Assist' and Compare to Bellingham
Fans flooded social media to praise the youngster. One supporter wrote on X: "Up there with best assist of the World Cup. What magic bit of play that was by Manzambi. A break out and revelation of this tournament." Another said: "Except the horrendous game vs Qatar they have looked really formidable and this Manzambi fella is a beast."
A third fan compared him to Jude Bellingham: "Manzambi feels like the closest thing to Bellingham for me. His technical level on top of the elite athleticism is just so rare." A Newcastle supporter urged the club to act quickly: "We f***** need to act fast and get the deal done he’s unbelievable."
World Cup Form Sparks Transfer Rumours
Manzambi scored twice in a 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina and added a goal and an assist in a 2-1 victory against host nation Canada during the group stage. Switzerland topped Group B before facing Algeria. Next up is a last-16 tie against either Colombia or Ghana.
With his performances, rumours around Manzambi's future are expected to accelerate, but he remains firmly on Newcastle United's radar at St James' Park.
