Xhaka says Switzerland can have best World Cup yet as they prepare for Qatar clash

[p]Playing in his fourth World Cup, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/xhaka-granit/QBHCDKff/"]Xhaka[/a] said the Swiss ‌were confident and "yearning for it like never before", and will ‌go all out for victory against the back-to-back Asian champions in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/qatar-zqzHL77i/switzerland-rHJ2vy1B/?mid=C8oCpXiA"]Santa Clara ‌on Saturday[/a].[/p][p][b]"In football we always talk about tactical things, but you ‌also have to enjoy the moment and I think this is one of the most important things in football, that you go on the pitch, that you ‌feel free,[/b]" Xhaka told a press conference.[/p][p]"We just ⁠want to bring our 'A' game tomorrow. ‌We will want to perform for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/rHJ2vy1B/"]Switzerland[/a], for our families. Tomorrow we will ​take the first big step. This is going to be the best World Cup.[/p][p][b]"We are now impatient," he added. "We are ​primed and ready. We are physically ready, we are mentally ready."[/b][/p][image alt="Xhaka in action" id="fde215f5-73e2-4979-887f-78819d162b78" credit-line="REUTERS / Stefan Wermuth" guid="1eb155b6-a273-43b7-bf47-e98379a05194" original-width="2666" original-height="1969" /][p]Switzerland are playing in their sixth successive World Cup, a feat matched ⁠only in Europe by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]​Spain[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/ptQide1O/"]Germany[/a].[/p][p]But unlike those sides, the Swiss have little to show for it, with round-of-16 exits in five of their past six appearances, with their last quarter-final back in 1954.[/p][p]A win against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/qatar/zqzHL77i/"]Qatar[/a] ‌would put them top of Group B ahead of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bosnia-herzegovina/fqe7WYTr/"]Bosnia[/a] and co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a], who drew 1-1 on Friday.[/p][h2]Lessons learned from past World Cup[/h2][p]Xhaka, 33, is the fulcrum of Swizerland's team and the country's most capped player.[/p][p]He is expected to pass the 150 cap mark at the World Cup and on Saturday, he and defender Ricardo Rodriguez will, if selected, both set a national record of 13 appearances in the tournament.[/p][p]Coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yakin-murat/AyuXqwIS/"]Murat Yakin[/a] said his current squad have what it takes to do ‌well at the World Cup and his aim is to take ​the game to Qatar early on.[/p][p]He said his squad, 17 members ‌of which were at the last World Cup, had learned a lot from that tournament, which they exited in the last 16 with a 6-1 hammering by Portugal.[/p][p][b]"Two thirds of the players of my team have already played in a big tournament," Yakin said. "We ⁠learned our lessons from the ⁠past. Now, four years later, ‌we have more experience. We do things better."[/b][/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]