Cameroon kicked off their 2022 FIFA World Cup G campaign with a 1-0 loss to Swizerland at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakhar, Qatar on Thursday.
The game got off to a scintillating start with Ruben Vergas breaking through on goal as early as the second minute, but the Swiss failed to beat the keeper from close range.
Cameroon were on the attack five minutes later when Toko Ekambi drove forward down the left flank, before cutting inside and shooting but his 20-yard effort skimmed the wrong side of the post.
Switzerland should really have found the back of the net in the 23th minute when a corner found Djibril Saw unmarked at the back post, but he headed over from only a couple of yards out.
The next decent effort on goal only came in the 39th minute when Collins Fai found himself on the edge of the box, but again his shooting lacked direction as he fired inches wide of the target.
Neither team could break the deadlock before the half time break.
Three minutes into the second half Switzerland finally managed to find the back of the net from a spectacular 24-yard free-kick when Breel Embolo curled the ball around the defensive wall and into goal.
After that the Swiss strangled the game as they slowed down the pace and played possession football.
Cameroon simply weren’t able to provide enough of an attacking threat in the final third as they struggled to create goal scoring chances.
Nonetheless, the West Africans threw players forward in the dying minutes of the game but they weren’t able to salvage anything as the game ended 1-0 in favour of Switzerland.
Starting lineups:
Switzerland : Yann Sommer – Silvan Widmer, Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodriguez (Comert 90), Remo Freuler, Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri (Okafor 72), Djibril Sow (Feri 72), Ruben Vargas (Rieder 81), Breel Embolo (Seferovic 72)
Cameroon: A. Onana ; N. Nkoulou, J. Castelletto , C. Fai, N. Tolo, A. Zambo Anguissa, S. Oum Gouet, M. Hongla (Ondua 68), E. Choupo-Moting (Aboubakar 74), K. Toko Ekambi (N’Koudou 74), B. Mbeumo (Ngamaleu 81)
