Vega hails Yakin and Manzambi as Swiss head for Hampden

[Getty Images] Former Celtic and Switzerland centre-half Ramon Vega says current national head coach Murat Yakin has "done a wonderful job" as he prepares to bring his side to Hampden Park on Tuesday. And he believes "Scotland will have a very difficult opponent with Switzerland" in the second round of Nations League group games. The Swiss opened with a 3-0 win on Saturday in North Macedonia, "which is not an easy place to go and they also have some good quality players". Vega pointed out that "Switzerland had a very good World Cup - one of their best in 70 years". "My ex-teammate, Murat Yakin, the coach, has done a wonderful job so far and that 3-0 is a good start - a fantastic result," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. The former Grasshoppers and Basel centre-half has blended experienced, quality players with up-and-coming talent, with Vega picking out Aston Villa summer signing Johan Manzambi for particular praise after being "fantastic at the World Cup". "Nobody thought he would come into the squad in the first place because he was playing for Freiburg in the Bundesliga," he suggested. "But Aston Villa had a good eye and he has had a huge impact in the Premier League in that number 10 scenario and scoring goals." Vega recognised that Scotland will be a "difficult opponent, especially at Hampden", but he pointed out that, in contrast to his day, 90% of Switzerland's players now play abroad and have experience of playing in hostile environments in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A.