Welcome to Sportstar’s highlights of the Switzerland vs Cameroon World Cup Group H match at the Al Janoub Stadium.
Breel Embolo haunts his birth nation as his goal gives Switzerland all three points against Cameroon and a winning start to their Qatar World Cup campaign.
Chance- A big chance for Seferovic to add a late second goal for Switzerland. He did well initially to pinch the ball. He takes the ball inside the box and opens the angle up by cutting in. He goes for the shot but Castelletto with a great block to prevent a second goal by the Swiss.
Cameroon has been underwhelming in the second-half compared to the first. It hasn’t really tested the defensive solidity of the Swiss team. Still some football to play but does not look like things are going to change by the look of things.
Six minutes added at the end of the second-half!!
Switzerland sub: IN- Comert OUT- Rodriguez
Shot- Xhaka with one of his trademark long-distance shots from outside the box. However, this one is low and easy to deal with for Onana.
Fai with another cross from the right but it too high and hanging. It does not find a Cameroon shirt.
Reider looks to make an immediate impact as he whips in a low ball from the left flank. Seferovic looks to get at the end of the cross but is intercepted by the Cameroon defence before it reaches him.
Cameroon sub: IN- Ngamaleu OUT- Mbeumo. It is a competitive debut for Ngamaleu.
Switzerland sub: IN- Reider OUT- Vargas
Fai sends in a searching ball inside the box. Sommer initially went to collect it but leaves it at the end as the ball goes out for a goalkick.
The tempo of the Cameroon team has visibly gone down as the match nears its last 10 minutes. It has had its fair share of chances today but the finishing has not been up to the mark.
Play is stopped as Widmer clutches his eye and goes down. It seems like he has been poked in the eye in the course of play. Nothing intentional but painful nonetheless.
Cameroon sub: IN- N’Koudou, Aboubakar OUT- Ekambi, Choupo-Moting
Switzerland sub: IN- Seferovic, Okafor OUT- Embolo, Shaqiri.
Switzerland sub: IN- Frei OUT- Sow.
Widmer with another one of his overlapping runs. He attempts a cross but it is blocked well.
Cameroon sub: IN- Ondoua OUT- Hongla
Close- Shaqiri with another brilliant delivery from a corner. Embolo almost gets to the ball at the far-post but Anguissa with a last-minute clearance.
Save- Vargas with a venomous first-time shot that was on target. However, Onana is alert enough to make a brilliant sve.
Anguissa gets a header away from a Cameroon freekick but it had no power and Sommer collects easily.
Booking: Elvedi sees yellow for his challenge on Choupo-Moting. Choupo-Moting with a wonderful turn to get away from Elvedi but the Swiss player takes one for the team, stopping the potential attack.
Choupo-Moting finds Hongla, who is surrounded by four Switzerland shirts. With no support arriving, he decides to pass the ball back. He did well in the end to keep the ball amdist Swiss pressure.
A good attack by Switzerland. Vargas has a great chance to find Xhaka at the far-post but completely messes up his cross and sends the ball out of play. He is saved from the blushes as the assistant referee had already raised his flag for offside.
Choupo-Moting shows his dancing feet to beat Rodriguez inside the box. He takes the shot from a very tight angle but it is saved by Sommer as expected.
Mbeumo with an inviting cross inside the Switzerland box from a Cameroon freekick but Sommer comes off his line and collects it comfortably.
STAT ATTACK!!
Momentary danger for Cameroon as Embolo chases the loose ball but Onana reaches it first to thwart the danger.
Xhaka is hurt and is down on the ground. It was a late challenge and the Swiss bench is not happy.
GOOOALLL!!! SWITZERLAND SCORES!! EMBOLO SCORES AGAINST HIS BIRTH NATION!! Shaqiri sends a wonderful low cross from the right flank and Embolo is there in the middle to slot the ball inside the net. No celebration from Embolo but he must be buzzing inside.
Like the first-half, Switzerland has started strongly in the second. Cameroon players being made to chase the ball.
Cameroon kicks-off the second-half. Match goaless as of now.
A spirited performance by Cameroon as the match remains goalless at the break.
Close- Vargas swings in a brilliant ball from a corner. Akanji gets above everyone and gets a solid header away but unfortunately, the effort was not on target as the ball goes out for a goal kick. Akanji should have done better there. The best chance of the match so far.
Two added minutes at the end of the first-half!!
Widmer’s cross from the right finds Embolo’s head but he cannot get decent contact as the Cameroon defence sends the ball out for a corner.
Switzerland were clearly the favourites on paper heading into the match but Cameroon had the better chances in the first-half. Another upset incoming?
Switzerland cannot clear its lines properly from a Cameroonian cross from the left. The loose ball falls to Choupo-Moting who goes for the shot but Elvedi gets in the way to make the block.
Embolo is released down the left side. He makes a darting run inside the box and is about to take the shot. But, he is dispossessed by a perfectly-timed challenge by Castelletto.
Booking: Cameroon’s Collins Fai sees the first yellow card of the match for his late challenge on Elvedi.
Shaqiri drills in a first-time cross inside the Cameroon box but it is overhit and goes out for a goalkick.
Widmer, on the overlap, drills in a low cross inside the Cameroon box but the defence is alert to clear the ball before it finds a Swiss shirt.
Incisive football from Cameroon- Choupo-Moting and Mbeumo with a brilliant one-two to penetrate the Swiss defence. Hongla has the ball and shoots across the face of the goal. Sommer parries and the loose ball is cleared by Widmer. Ekambi was right behind him so Widmer had be alert there.
Anguissa releases Mbeumo on the left. Mbeumo goes on a great run, keeping possession but cannot get his shot away. The ball falls to Anguissa who passes to Ekambi on the left. He goes for a shot, which takes a deflection and goes out for a Cameroon corner. A promising attack for the Lions but one pass too many at the end.
Switzerland playing with fire as the backline passes it around amidst pressure from the Cameroon pressure. Sommer was inches away from giving the ball away to the rushing Mbeumo but the Swiss keeper keeps his composure to get his pass away to safety.
A good spell of pressure by Switzerland. It ends with Xhaka’s lobbed ball to Freuler who cannot reach it in time. Cameroon gets a goalkick.
Choupo-Moting robs the ball from Akanji and runs towards the goal. He goes for a low shot that is saved by Sommer. However, the flag had already gone up and play stops. Choupo-Moting had fouled Akanji in the process of pinching the ball from him.
Embolo gets the ball inside the box but he is bundled off the ball by Castelletto before he gets his shot away. Switzerland players ask for a penalty but the assistant referee had alreay raised his flag for offside.
Granit Xhaka with a wayward effort from distance but his shot is nowhere near the target.
Chance- Hongla with a lovely pass to release Mbeumo. Mbeumo lashes a shot at the Swiss goal which is palmed away by Sommer. The rebound falls to Ekambi who blasts his shot above goal.
Vargas gets the ball on the left and sends in a ball inside the box after a couple of stepovers. It is a disappointing cross and Castelletto heads the ball away.
Shaqiri crosses into the box from the right but Castelletto is there to mop up the danger. It wasn’t the most confident of takes but he gets the job done.
Cameroon sitting quite deep in the opening minutes of the first-half. Switzerland enjoying lots of possession.
Early chance for Switzerland from a corner. Shaqiri sends in a good ball at the near-post which caused momentary panic for Cameroon. But Hongla is there to clear the ball from danger.
Switzerland kicks off its opening Group G fixture against Cameroon in the Qatar World Cup.
The teams are on the pitch for the national anthems!!
Lots of experience!!
Did you know?
Less than an hour left for kick-off!!
Fans arrive at the stadium prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group G match between Switzerland and Cameroon at Al Janoub Stadium on November 24, 2022, in Al Wakrah, Qatar. | Photo Credit: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Switzerland vs Cameroon Starting Lineups!!
Match Preview
Switzerland hopes to secure early points in a tough Group G when it faces Cameroon in its World Cup opener on Thursday after a year of solid performances on the European stage.
The Swiss reached the Euro 2020 quarterfinals before losing a penalty shootout to Spain. It also finished ahead of Italy in its World Cup qualifying group to avoid the playoffs.
With Granit Xhaka anchoring the midfield and Xherdan Shaqiri commanding the flank, Switzerland is expected to dominate Cameroon and, at the very least, cause trouble for its other group opponents Serbia and favourites Brazil.
The biggest question mark comes between the posts. Manager Murat Yakin has selected four goalkeepers due to injury concerns over starter Yann Sommer and back-up Jonas Omlin, calling up RB Salzburg’s Philipp Kohn as one of two uncapped members of the squad.
Although Cameroon is considered the least likely side in the section to reach the round of 16, the attacking talent of players such as Napoli’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has the potential to rattle the Swiss defence.
But Cameroon - playing in an eighth World Cup, a record number of appearances for an African nation - has failed to leave its mark at the finals since the 1990 edition of the tournament, when it dazzled by reaching the quarterfinals.
The Indomitable Lions have gone out at the group stage of all the World Cups it has played in since its 1990 exploits, winning only one of 15 matches.
Cameroon will aim to at least get another World Cup victory this time, a task that could prove difficult for a side that qualified thanks to a stoppage-time goal at the end of extra time in the second leg of its playoff tie away to Algeria.
-Reuters
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