Rigobert Song’s staff seemed nearly useless and buried after objectives from Strahinja Pavlovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Serbia a 3-1 lead early within the second half.
Cameroon midfielder Gael Ondoua shakes fingers with Serbia ahead Dusan Tadic in the course of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group G soccer match between Cameroon and Serbia on the Al-Janoub Stadium in Al-Wakrah, south of Doha on 28 November 2022. Picture: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP
DOHA – Cameroon stored their hopes of constructing the final 16 of the World Cup alive on Monday after combating back from two objectives down to draw an exhilarating Group G encounter with Serbia 3-3.
Rigobert Song’s staff seemed nearly useless and buried after objectives from Strahinja Pavlovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Serbia a 3-1 lead early within the second half.
But substitute Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting snatched a draw with two quick-fire strikes simply after the hour mark to go away each Cameroon and Serbia on a single level, two behind group leaders Brazil and Switzerland.
Had they misplaced, Cameroon would have been counting on the Swiss beating Brazil so as to not be eradicated with a recreation to spare, however as a substitute the west Africans nonetheless have an opportunity of getting out of the group stage for the primary time since 1990.
Cameroon have a troublesome process forward as they play Brazil of their closing match, which in accordance to stories they’ll play with out first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana who was dropped from the matchday squad simply hours earlier than kick-off following an unspecified disciplinary difficulty.
Media stories counsel that Onana has been despatched dwelling from the World Cup after a disagreement with Song, however that pre-match turmoil did not cease Cameroon placing in a combating show towards a Serbia staff who in all probability deserved to win on the stability of play.
Mitrovic was nearly invisible in Serbia’s defeat to Brazil however right here he was concerned from kick-off, the Fulham ahead unfortunate not to give Serbia the lead within the eleventh minute when he crashed a shot off the publish from a good angle following a neat change of passes with Dusan Tadic.
CAMEROON COMEBACK
But Mitrovic solely had himself to blame for not opening the scoring six minutes later, shanking an terrible first-time end huge when, after a combination up within the Cameroon defence, the ball dropped at his toes with solely Onana’s substitute Devis Epassy to beat.
And Castelletto punished the Serbs for Mitrovic’s miss within the twenty ninth minute with the best of finishes after ghosting in on the back publish to meet Nicolas Nkoulou’s flick-on at a nook.
Pierre Kunde then handed up a golden alternative to double Cameroon’s lead within the forty third minute when he first shot straight at goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic after which smashed the rebound huge.
It was Cameroon’s flip to be undone at a set-piece because the half crept into first-half stoppage time when Pavlovic brilliantly headed dwelling Dusan Tadic’s floated free-kick.
The Serbs’ tails have been up and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic flipped the match on its head two minutes later with an excellent left-footed end after Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa sloppily gave the ball away simply exterior his personal penalty space.
Mitrovic lastly had the objective his robust show deserved seven minutes after the break, tapping in Andrija Zivkovic’s go unopposed on the finish of gorgeous transfer guided by Milinkovic-Savic and Tadic.
The match seemed over however from nowhere Cameroon sprung back into life thanks to Aboubakar’s odd objective.
The Al Nassr ahead raced by way of onto Castelletto’s launched go excessive and scooped an unbelievable end over the Serbia ‘keeper, beaming with delight after his objective was awarded following a VAR verify.
Aboubakar’s tempo triggered Serbia every kind of issues and he laid on Choupo-Moting’s leveller, bursting down the appropriate and laying on a easy end for the Bayern Munich ahead which sparked wild celebrations on the pitch and within the stands.
Neither aspect might discover a winner in an end-to-end end to the sport and their bids to make the knockouts will go down to the ultimate recreation.