World Cup's best game so far? Cameroon peg back Serbia after Onana exit

AL WAKRAH, Qatar -- Cameroon went ahead, past managed to erase a two-goal shortage to gully 3-3 with Serbia successful a thrilling Group G lucifer astatine Al Janoub Stadium.

After some teams mislaid their opening games successful a radical that besides features Switzerland and tournament-favorites Brazil, the constituent mightiness not beryllium capable to assistance either squad get done to the circular of 16, but it volition support them live headed into Matchday 3. And it gave watching fans astir the satellite thing to get excited astir successful the aboriginal kickoff.

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Rapid Reaction

1. Super-sub Aboubakar leads historical comeback for Cameroon

After falling down 3-1 successful the 54th minute, Cameroon seemed each but retired of the game. History said the same. Prior to Monday, lone 2 African teams successful World Cup past had ever travel backmost from two-goal deficits to get a result: South Africa's 2-2 gully with Paraguay successful 2002 and the Ivory Coast's 3-2 triumph against Serbia and Montenegro successful 2006.

The remainder of the satellite hadn't fared immoderate better. Teams that person fallen down by 2 were conscionable 9-428-13 (W-L-D) all-time successful the World Cup, meaning little than 5% of those teams person been capable to rescue astatine slightest a point.

Everything changed erstwhile Vincent Aboubakar replaced Martin Hongla successful the 55th minute. His perfectly-timed tally enactment him successful one-vs.-one to people the team's 2nd extremity with an unthinkable chip, past helium assisted Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's equaliser minutes later.

Had it not been for arguably the team's champion player, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Cameroon mightiness not person needed a comeback. First, the Napoli midfielder fto Strahinja Pavlovic tally unimpeded done the container and spell unchallenged to caput Serbia's archetypal goal. Then, conscionable 2 minutes later, helium cheaply gave the shot distant astatine the apical of the container and didn't enactment to triumph it back, which gave Sergej Milinkovic-Savic the accidental that enactment Serbia successful front..

2. Serbia controlled the crippled for agelong stretches

Despite falling down successful the 31st infinitesimal connected a country footwear that was tapped location by Jean-Charles Castelletto, Serbia dictated the play for astir of the game's archetypal 2 thirds.

Outside of that goal, Cameroon seldom threatened and Serbia were consistently capable to play their mode done to the last third. Pavlovic (45'+1') and Milinkovic-Savic (45'+3') gave them a deserved pb conscionable earlier the fractional and it looked truthful casual erstwhile Aleksandar Mitrovic scored successful the 53rd infinitesimal that the 3 points seemed similar a forgone conclusion.

But Serbia crumbled and It was a monolithic missed accidental to springiness themselves a accidental of reaching the knockouts headed into the lucifer against Switzerland connected Friday, wherever Serbia volition present apt request a triumph to advance, depending connected what happens betwixt Brazil and Switzerland. Had they beaten Cameroon, it opened up the anticipation that a gully would person been enough.

3. The lawsuit of the missing goalkeeper

A prematch daze came erstwhile Cameroon's starting goalkeeper Andre Onana was not connected the teamsheet. His lack came successful the aftermath of a disagreement with manager Rigobert Song, who Onana felt acceptable up the squad to play excessively defensively, sources told ESPN, and Onana near the squad (and the World Cup) arsenic a result. Samuel Eto'o, the Cameroon Federation president, attempted to pursuade Onana to stay with the team, but was unsuccessful.

With the Inter Milan goalkeeper unavailable, Song turned to French-born Devis Epassy, who debuted for Cameroon successful 2021 and plays for Abha successful Saudi Arabia. There was thing Epassy could person done connected Serbia's archetypal goal, but helium could person done amended connected the second.

It's intolerable to accidental however Onana's beingness would person impacted the crippled but with 1 constituent done 2 matches, Cameroon's hopes of qualifying volition beryllium pugnacious arsenic they look Brazil next.

Player ratings

Serbia: Milinkovic-Savic 6, Pavlovic 8, Veljkovic 6, Milenkovic 6, Kostic 7, Lukic 6, Maksimonvic 7, Zivkovic 8, Milinkovic-Savic 8, Tadic 7, Mitrovic 8.

Subs: Mitrovic 6, Babic 6, Radonjic 6, Grujic 6.

Cameroon: Epassy 6, Fai 6, Castelletto 8, N.Koulou 6, Tolo 7, Kunde 7, Hongla 6, Anguissa 5, Mbeumo 6, Choupo-Moting 8, Ekambi 6.

Subs: Aboubakar 8, Ondoua 6, Bassogog 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Vincent Aboubakar

Aboubakar's extremity and assistance aft coming connected successful the 2nd made each the quality for Cameroon.

WORST: André-Frank Zambo Anguissa

His brace of intelligence lapses adjacent the extremity of the archetypal fractional outgo the Indomitable Lions the pb and, possibly, the game.

Highlights and notable moments

Serbia went down but scored doubly successful archetypal fractional stoppage time, earlier making it 3-1 aboriginal successful the 2nd and looked similar they were cruising.

How person Serbia gone from looking acceptable to committee the adjacent formation location to playing immoderate of the nicest shot of the tournament. Ridiculous

But past this stunning scooped effort from Vincent Aboubakar was followed up by a extremity from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to necktie it astatine 3-3.

And the crippled was adjacent praised by the authoritative FIFA World Cup Twitter relationship afterwards.

What a crippled 👏

After the match: What the players and managers said

To follow...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Cameroon scored their archetypal extremity astatine World Cup since Joel Matip vs. Brazil successful 2014.

- Serbia are the archetypal squad to people 2 stoppage clip goals successful the archetypal fractional of a World Cup game.

- Vincent Aboubakar was the archetypal substitute to people for Cameroon since Roger Milla successful 1994.

- This was Cameroon's archetypal clip scoring 3 goals successful a World Cup match.

- Entering today, teams trailing by astatine slightest 2 goals were 9-428-13 (W-L-D) all-time astatine the World Cup.

- This was the 5th comeback triumph astatine the 2022 World Cup, passing the full from the 2018 Group Stage (4).

- Only 2 different African teams successful World Cup past person travel backmost from 2 goals down to get a result: Ivory Coast (W, 3-2 vs Serbia & Montenegro successful 2006) and South Africa (D, 2-2 vs Paraguay successful 2002.)

- This was the sixth 3-3 gully successful World Cup past and the archetypal clip there's been a 3-3 gully successful consecutive World Cups (Portugal and Spain drew successful 2018.)

Up next

Serbia: They look Switzerland connected Dec. 2 astatine Stadium 974, 10 p.m. section clip / 2 p.m. ET. A batch volition beryllium connected the Swiss' effect against Brazil later.

Cameroon: A pugnacious last crippled against Brazil connected Dec. 2 astatine Lusail Stadium, 10 p.m. section clip / 2 p.m. ET. Brazil whitethorn beryllium done by then, which could easiness the pressure.