An unusual pairing, these two teams have met only once before – in a 2010 international friendly. And if Monday’s game is anything like that seven-goal thriller – when Serbia’s four edged Cameroon’s three – we’ll all be in for a treat.
Vincent Aboubakar, the veteran striker would be leading the lines for the Indomitable Lions and is used to Gulf conditions, having joined Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr FC last year.
Also in the squad are goalkeeper André Onana and star midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa who both play in the Italian Serie A.
Anguissa is the team’s defensive anchor with an eye for the occasional goal. If he can find form, we could be expecting some fireworks in today’s fixture.
Although Serbia’s muscular stature is a match for Cameroon’s flair, Serbia’s muscularity is a tough match for the latter.
Sergej Milinković-Savić, commanding midfield, links up with the devastating pairing of Aleksandar Mitrović and Dušan Vlahović up front, to form a dangerous strike team. And that’s without mentioning Fiorentina striker Luka Jović.
Brazil managed to unpick Serbia in their first World Cup match in Qatar by constant prodding and poking, eventually prising open holes in their formation. Cameroon are unlikely to offer quite the brilliance and dominance of the five-time world champions, but Serbia can still be undone if they are not vigilant.
Cameroon had the best of the first half in their opening match against Switzerland on Thursday, showing they pose a threat on goal against even robust opposition.
It’s a make-or-break game for both sides, coming off the back of losses in their opening matches: Cameroon to Switzerland and Serbia to Brazil. A second defeat for either teams could mean a possible elimination from the competition at an early stage.
The Al Janoub Stadium with a capacity of 44,325 would host both teams in the second round of Group G’s fixtures.