FIFA World Cup 2022: Cameroon knocked out five-time champions Brazil in the final group game of the FIFA World Cup 2022 on Saturday. Cameroon became the first African team to beat Brazil at the World Cup, scoring a late winner to record a 1-0 victory at the Lucille Stadium.
Vincent Aboubakar scored the winner in the 92nd minute and was sent off a minute later after receiving a second yellow card for removing his shirt in celebration. But the result did not change the fate of either side. Brazil, who qualified for the last 16 before the game, is the Group G toppers with six points ahead of Switzerland, who beat Serbia 3-2 on goal difference in the other group game.
Cameroon ended their campaign with four points and finished third in the group. Serbia finished last with one point. Second-string Brazil dominated the game as coach Tite made nine changes to his starting line-up, but they failed to score despite 21 attempts on goal, seven on target, and 65% possession. Brazil beat Portugal 2-1 to face Group H runners-up South Korea in the next round.
Cameroon, who last won a World Cup in 2002 against Saudi Arabia, trailed for most of the match but came alive at the death. Ederson is beaten by Aboubaker’s header. The match took place in a relatively subdued atmosphere at the tournament’s biggest venue, the cavernous Lucille Stadium, with Brazil’s reserves eager to impress but Tite’s side failed to display their usual flair.
Gabriel Martinelli was Brazil’s liveliest player and nearly five-time champion when he was sent off by Fred’s ball in the 14th minute, but the Arsenal forward’s header was well saved by Davies. Cameroon offered almost no attacking threat until first-half injury time when Bryan Mbeumo met Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu’s cross with a powerful downward header.
Tite had seen enough and made a triple change soon after the break, bringing on Marquinho for the injured Alex Telles and replacing Rodrigo and Fred with Everton’s Ribeiro and Bruno Guimaraes. The substitutes were suddenly bombarded with chances for Brazil, with Epasi forcing action three times in as many minutes.
First, Martinelli stung the palms of the Cameroon keeper with a snapshot in the 56th minute. Later, Eder Militao tried his luck, fumbled by the Cameroon keeper, who recovered to pull the ball out to safety, before a lively Antoni sprung into action, forcing Epasi into a diving save.
A curling attempt. Brazil tried to save their perfect record in the group through Tite Pedro in the 64th minute and Rafinha in the 79th minute, but Cameron Aboubakar seized his moment until he was in the right place at the right time.
