AFP
Paris, Sept 7: With Cristiano Ronaldo still missing due to injury, European champions Portugal began their bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia with a disappointing 0-2 defeat Tuesday in Switzerland.
Goals seven minutes apart in the first half from teenage sensations Breel Embolo and Admir Mehmedi gave the Swiss the points at the St Jakob-Park in Basel.
Elsewhere Tuesday, Euro 2016 runners-up France also showed signs of a hangover from their summer exertions as Les Bleus were held to a 0-0 draw in Belarus in Group A, while the Netherlands came from behind to draw 1-1 in Sweden.
In Nicosia, former Everton boss Roberto Martinez’s first competitive match as coach of Belgium ended in a 3-0 win against Cyprus.
Ronaldo was absent from the away starting line-up in Basel and with Renato Sanches also sidelined and Joao Mario only on the bench, the Portuguese were up against the wall from the start.
Switzerland went in front midway through the first half, Schalke striker Embolo heading home the loose ball after Rui Patricio had only managed to parry a Ricardo Rodriguez free-kick.
The Swiss doubled their lead on the half-hour mark when Haris Seferovic cut the ball back for Mehmedi, who took a touch and finished the ball high into the net.
In the same group, Hungary were held to a 0-0 draw in the Faroe Islands while Valerijs Sabala’s second half goal gave Latvia a 1-0 victory in Andorra.
France had their chances against Belarus, the best being a Oliver Giroud header hitting the bar off a Paul Pogba cross. Antoine Griezmann then met a low ball in to the near post by Moussa Sissoko but was thwarted by goalkeeper Andrei Gorbunov’s diving save.
