Cameroon-Serbia: a spectacular draw that does not help anyone

“Woe to the vanquished”, they said before the meeting.

There was no loser, but no winner either.

At the end of a spectacular match, Cameroon and Serbia parted ways in a draw (3-3) which does not help anyone.

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The Indomitable Lions had opened the scoring by Castelletto (28th), before suffering the thunderous return of unleashed Serbs.

The White Eagles scored three quick goals by Pavlovic (45th+1), Milinkovic-Savic (45th+3) and Mitrovic (53rd).

We thought Rigobert Song's team was knocked out, but that was without counting on the sensational entry of Aboubakar.

The former Lorient player scored one of the world's goals, with a superb ladle in the area (63rd), before serving Choupo-Moting (66th) on a plateau for the equalizer.

Cameroon, led 3-1 a little less than half an hour from the end, stayed alive in this World Cup-2022 by hanging Serbia (3-3) after a crazy match between two teams in very unfavorable waivers in Group G, Monday in Doha.

To survive in a group dominated by Brazil and Switzerland, thanks to their success in the inaugural matches, Serbs and Cameroonians were already back to the wall on Monday at the al-Janoub stadium, almost forced not to lose.

With this in mind, the Serbs took the option of the offensive against more cautious opponents, betting on counter-attacks or set pieces.

Aleksandar Mitrovic thus offered himself three goal possibilities at the start of the match: a poorly calibrated header (6th), a shot crashing into the post (11th) and a big miss alone against the goal (17th).

Once this storm passed, Cameroon took advantage of a corner to open the scoring 1-0 at the half-hour mark thanks to Castelletto, on the reception at the far post of a ball deflected from the head by Nicolas Nkoulou on a corner returning from the left (29th).

Poorly paid, the Serbs relied on an uncrossed header from Strahinja Pavlovic (well served by Dusan Tadic) to get back into the game shortly before the break (45+1).

Aboubakar's ladle

And 120 seconds later, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic cooled off the African supporters with a shot from the edge of the area (45+3).

A shot from the left of “SMS” on which goalkeeper Devis Epassy could have done better, the replacement for the usual holder André Onona (dismissed before the match for disciplinary reasons) having lacked firmness on his line.

In the 53rd minute, Mitrovic signed the 3-1 with his 51st goal in selection, concluding after his teammates played with a desperate opposing defense.

What followed was incredible.

Perhaps too sure of themselves, Dragan Stojkovic's men actually let the meeting slip away.

In three minutes (63rd and 66th), Aboubakar allowed his people to pick up thanks to an improbable ladle and an assist to Choupo-Moting, scorer.

Two goals scored on the edge of offside, following a misalignment of the Serbian defense.

This draw, if it gives hope to the two teams to get out of the group stage, however leaves the two formations in tow of the Nati and the Seleçao who face each other later in the day to dispute the head of the G group.

Both teams have one point after two games.

In the Group G standings, they find themselves behind Switzerland and Brazil who face each other on Monday (5:00 p.m.).

The last day will feature Serbia-Switzerland and Cameroon-Brazil duels.