To place a lid on the Andre Onana controversy, Cameroon wanted the type of efficiency they produced in opposition to Serbia at Al Janoub Stadium the place fortunes yo-yoed earlier than the groups performed an exhilarating 3-3 draw. It’s a outcome that meant Cameroon will not be completed with Doha but.
Until after the hour mark, it appeared like Samuel Eto’o assertion that Cameroon might go all the best way was only a bombast of a federation president. They have been trailing 1-3, Serbia having come again from Jean-Charles Castelletto’s Twenty ninth-minute tap-in with two targets in first-half stoppage time via Strahinja Pavlovic’s header within the 45+1 minute and Sergej Miliknovic-Savic (45+3). When Aleksander Mitrovic made it 3-1 within the 53rd minute after an alternate of passes within the rival penalty space, the Lions appeared something however Indomitable.
However substitute Vincent Aboubakar confirmed why they’re known as that, pulling one again within the sixty fourth with an audacious lob. Obtained on to interrupt the Serbian excessive line, Aboubakar, who performs for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, did that once more within the 66th minute to arrange Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting for the only of tap-ins. It stopped a run of seven successive World Cup defeats for Cameroon. “We took it too straightforward and made two enormous errors within the defence,” mentioned Serbia coach Drajan Stoijkov.
Making his World Cup debut, Devis Epassy, a goalkeeper who additionally performs in Saudi Arabia, stored Cameroon within the sport with a 77th-minute block to disclaim Mitrovic. And once more within the 87th minute calmly reducing out Filip Kostic’s supply from the left. Mitrovic was marginally off-side in second-half stoppage time however Epassy took the shot on his face after the Serbian ahead broke via.
Epassy was in as a result of Onana was out of the squad following a distinction of opinion with coach Rigobert Track. In line with media reviews, Track and Onana had a falling out at Saturday’s coaching session, the Ajax goalkeeper refusing to heed Track’s directive to hoof goalkicks and never play out from the again. Eto’o had tried to mediate however relations between participant and coach had irretrievably damaged down, the reviews mentioned.
Onana, 26, has served a drug ban, a 12-month sentence lowered to 9 on attraction whereas at Ajax on whose rolls he was for six years. Onana moved to Inter Milan this season the place he was the No.1 from October to the break earlier than the World Cup. Onana’s absence at Ajax had given Maarten Stekelenburg’s profession a second wind, the goalkeeper returning to the Holland aspect for the European championships final 12 months.
“We’re in a troublesome match and the workforce is at all times above a person. Andre wished to step out and we accepted that,” mentioned Track, a former defender who has performed 4 World Cups with Cameroon.
“There are occasions when robust motion must be taken. I took a danger and I settle for duty for the choice. At this time, Epassy confirmed he generally is a competitor to among the finest goalkeepers in Europe. It’s as much as Andre whether or not he’ll respect the principles and keep.”
After Mitrovic hit the bar, Cameroon solid forward following a nook kick with Castelletto tapping in a Choupo-Moting header flicked again. Among the many Serbians that didn’t attraction for off-side was Milos Velkovic. The central defender had been caught ball watching and blindsided by Castelletto. The bellow that adopted within the media tribune the place Cameroon Radio and TV the place doping dwell commentary conveyed that it was their finals purpose because the 1-4 loss to Brazil in 2014.
Serbia too equalised from a set-piece. Dusan Tadic fired within the free kick in and as Choupo-Moting jumped early sandwiched between him and Andre-Frank Anguissa Zambo was Pavlovic who netted a robust header. Zambo’s incapacity to get the ball out with a back-volley with two Serbians pressuring him led to the second purpose the place, possibly as a result of he was unsighted, Epassy solely acquired a hand to Miliknovic-Savic’a low drive. Mitrovic’s purpose got here when Cameroon have been dispossessed after which Serbia performed 4 passes, three within the penalty space. After which Cameroon confirmed lightning can strike twice in two minutes.
African groups have been within the information at World Cups for the improper causes, often over gamers not being given bonuses promised. However they’re additionally groups which have supplied color and a number of the competitors’s most memorable moments. Suppose Cameroon in 1990, Nigeria in 1994, Senegal in 2002, Ghana in 2010. And after Monday, Cameroon in 2022.