Published: July 7, 2026 at 4:22 pm
The FIFA World Cup Round of 16 concludes with two intriguing fixtures as defending champions Argentina take on a resilient Egypt side, while Switzerland lock horns with one of the tournament’s most impressive teams, Colombia. With knockout football often decided by fine tactical details, Team India and FC Goa defender Sandesh Jhingan believes discipline, defensive organisation and decision-making will play a defining role in both contests.
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Reflecting on Argentina’s defensive display against Cabo Verde, Jhingan backed Lionel Scaloni’s side to bounce back despite conceding twice in their Round of 32 encounter.
“Of course, when you concede two goals, people immediately question the defence. But one average performance shouldn’t make you feel you’re suddenly not good enough, just like one great performance shouldn’t make you think you’re invincible. If you look at Argentina’s record over the last 10-15 games, they have hardly conceded. For me, one of their biggest strengths is their defensive solidity, and they’ll look at the Cabo Verde game as just a small bump in the road. The important thing was getting the win, and I expect them to be much sharper against Egypt,” Jhingan said.
On Egypt’s tactical approach, Jhingan expects the African side to rely on quick transitions through Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. Pics: FIFA/X
On Egypt’s tactical approach, the Team India defender expects the African side to rely on quick transitions through Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush but believes Argentina’s aggressive counter-pressing will be equally important.
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“Egypt will probably sit back and look to hit Argentina on the counter because that’s where their strengths lie. But one thing I admire about Argentina is how quickly they counter-press after losing possession. They hunt in packs and don’t allow opponents many transition opportunities. If Egypt wants to minimise Messi’s influence, the key isn’t trying to stop him one-on-one, it’s cutting off the supply from players like Rodrigo De Paul and Alexis Mac Allister. That’s the only realistic way to reduce his impact,” Jhingan added.
Switzerland should remain in possession
Jhingan also believes Switzerland should remain committed to their possession-based approach, using Colombia’s aggressive press as an opportunity rather than a threat.
“I think they would fancy keeping the build-up plan because one of the reasons why teams do build-up is to invite pressure. When you do a high press, you leave a lot of space behind. Switzerland will want Colombia to come out from their own half because that creates the spaces they can exploit with just one, two or three passes. The main purpose of build-up is to invite pressure so that you have space behind to hurt them,” the Indian player said.
Jhingan praised Colombia’s tactical flexibility and attacking quality, while highlighting Switzerland’s discipline and defensive organisation as the foundation of what promises to be a closely fought encounter.
“Colombia have been one of the most exciting teams in the tournament. They create superiority in midfield through James Rodríguez, control possession well and then use the pace of Luis Díaz to attack the spaces behind. They’re a very complete side. But Switzerland are equally impressive in a different way. They’re compact, tactically disciplined and defend with a very organised mid-block. I think Manzambi has been the X-factor and has given them that extra attacking edge. I actually have a feeling Switzerland might edge this one, but I think both teams are so evenly matched that whoever makes fewer mistakes in midfield and makes better decisions will probably progress to the quarterfinals,” he added.
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