FC Lugano have comfortably progressed through the round of 32 of the Swiss Cup. At the AIL Arena, in the match against Vedeggio Calcio played in Lugano following an agreed venue swap between the two clubs, the bianconeri ran out 10–1 winners to secure their place in the round of 32.
The match, which pitted two sides separated by six divisions against each other, also turned into a celebration of Ticino and Lugano football in front of 3,257 spectators. Mattia Croci-Torti took the opportunity to give playing time to several players who had seen less action so far this season and received positive responses from the whole squad.
A FURIOUS TRIO IN THE FIRST HALF
Lugano started strongly and broke the deadlock as early as the 6th minute: Delcroix shot towards goal, Sacchelli parried but failed to clear, and Beckham Castro was quickest to pounce on the ball to make it 1–0 and score his first goal in the black-and-white shirt.
Barely four minutes later, they doubled their lead. Dos Santos burst down the left flank, beat two opponents, cut into the box and curled a right-footed shot into the corner to make it 2–0. In the 12th minute, the third member of the attacking trio also found the net: following a corner, Carbone flicked the ball on with his head, Moncada controlled it and beat Sacchelli with his right foot. In the space of twelve minutes, Castro, Dos Santos and Moncada had all found the back of the net.
The bianconeri’s pace didn’t let up, and in the 19th minute, Zanotti played a through ball to Dos Santos, who controlled it and, with his left foot, beat the goalkeeper once more to make it 4–0 and complete his brace.
Vedeggio tried to make their presence felt in the 37th minute, when Zè Francis Jr fired off a shot from 25 metres that flew just wide of the top corner of Gebhardt’s goal. A minute later, however, Lugano struck again: Kendouci put pressure on the opposition defence, won a loose ball and found himself one-on-one with Sacchelli, beating him to make it 5–0. The Algerian midfielder also scored his first goal in a bianconeri shirt.
FIVE MORE GOALS IN THE SECOND HALF
The second half got off to exactly the same start as the first had ended. In the 47th minute, following a corner, Dos Santos collected the ball on the edge of the box and struck it powerfully: Sacchelli was unable to hold onto it and the number 27 completed his hat-trick.
Two minutes later, it was Castro again who found space. The Colombian set off on a solo run, sprinted towards goal and, once inside the box, curled a left-footed shot into the corner to make it 7–0. In the 56th minute, Vedeggio pulled one back from the penalty spot through Armia Ahmari.
Lugano continued to press, however, and in the 68th minute, Moncada accelerated down the wing and crossed into the centre for Castro, who, from close range, slotted the ball home to make it 8–1 and complete his own hat-trick.
Two more goals followed in the closing stages. In the 87th minute, a corner was flicked on by Carbone and Kelvin scored to make it 9–1, his first goal in a Lugano shirt. Two minutes later, Pihlström broke down the left, entered the attacking third and beat Sacchelli at the near post with his left foot, sealing the final score at 10–1.
FC Lugano have thus cleared the first hurdle in their Swiss Cup campaign and used the match to give playing time and boost confidence across the squad. A pre-match ‘Meet & Greet’ with the fans and a lap of honour by the team after the final whistle rounded off a festive afternoon at the AIL Arena.
The FC Lugano already knows the next opponent on its Swiss Cup journey: in the Round of 32, the Bianconeri will face Second League side Pully Football away from home at the Centre sportif de Rochettaz. The match will be played between 16 and 18 October 2026, with the exact date and kick-off time still to be confirmed.
MATCH REPORT
: VEDEGGIO CALCIO – FC LUGANO 1–10
Swiss Cup – Round
of 32 16 August 2026 – AIL Arena
Attendance: 3,257
Goalscorers: 6’ Castro, 10’ Dos Santos, 12’ Moncada, 19’ Dos Santos, 38’ Kendouci, 47’ Dos Santos, 49’ Castro, 56’ pen. Ahmari, 68’ Castro, 87’ Kelvin, 89’ Pihlström.
VEDEGGIO CALCIO (4-1-4-1): Sacchelli; Cvetkovic, Regusci (66’ Rezia), Heller (46’ Coter), S. Locatelli; Quadri (66’ Compagnone); Fontana, Bianchi, Ahmari, M. Locatelli (37’ Cattaneo); Zè Francis Jr.
Substitutes: Vicari, Bertoli, Sergio, Binetti, Durini.
Manager: Mauro Borsieri.
FC LUGANO (3-4-3): Gebhardt; Carbone, Kelvin, Delcroix (46' Bichsel); Zanotti (46' Pihlström), Ajdin, Kendouci (72' Behrens), Marques (72' Steffen); Castro, Moncada, Dos Santos (62' Cimignani).
Substitutes: von Ballmoos, Papadopoulos, Grgić, Bislimi.
Manager: Mattia Croci-Torti.
Referee: Luca Piccolo
. Assistant referees: Silvano Giulini and Carsten König
. Booked: Dos Santos (LUG), S. Locatelli (VED).