World Cup 2022: Cameroon need a big result against Serbia
World Cup 2022: Cameroon have their backs to the wall against Serbia on Monday 28 November. It is win or go home for the Indomitable Lions.
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The road to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup has narrowed considerably for Cameroon. Beaten 1-0 by Switzerland in their 1st game, the Indomitable Lions' future in the competition looks uncertain. All the more so as they must face two tougher opponents than the Swiss. And it starts on Monday 28 November with Serbia.
Win or go home
The equation is simple: win or go home. Cameroon coach Rigobert Song's men must win to keep their qualification hopes alive before taking on Brazil. And given Serbia's record, the task looks tough. Cameroon's next opponents were the big European surprise of qualifying for this Qatar World Cup. The Balkan nation managed to finish top of their group, ahead of Portugal, with 6 wins and 2 draws.
Despite their 2-0 defeat to Brazil in the first round of games at this World Cup, Serbia still have a card to play in this group. With Aleksandar Mitrovic (52 club goals and 14 for his country between 2021 and 2022), Dušan Vlahović (30 goals in Serie A and 6 for his country between 2021 and 2022) and Dušan Tadić (22 club goals and 4 for his country between 2021 and 2022), the Serbs have a real ability to hurt teams.
Rigobert Song with his back to the wall
The Cameroon coach has his back to the wall. Rigobert Song knows his players will have to pull off something special. Even so, he remains convinced there is still a chance: "We lost our first match, admittedly, but everything is still possible. There is always hope."
The stakes are huge, so the mindset has to match. "We remain determined. It's in the DNA of Cameroonian footballers", Song said at a press conference on Sunday 27 November.
The Cameroon coach is keeping his line-up and system for the Serbia game under wraps. But there is a strong chance of seeing Choupo-Moting and Vincent Aboubakar start together up front. Scoring as many goals as possible is the main objective for André Onana's team-mates. They will therefore need to be clinical and decisive.
To do that, Zambo Anguissa will have a heavy workload in midfield, particularly in the transition from back to front to exploit the space. It is an area in which the Serbs excel. Cameroon's defenders will need to stay alert and be physically strong.
Kigoum WANDJI