The Cameroon national team fell into the trap of losing 1-0 to Switzerland, today, Thursday, in the opening match of the seventh round of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Swiss striker Beryl Mbolo, who has Cameroonian origin, scored the only goal of the match in the 48th minute.
Switzerland snatched 3 valuable points from the fangs of the lions, while Cameroon endangered its hopes of qualifying before playing the matches against Serbia and Brazil.
Cameroon was the most dangerous and ferocious team in the first half, but Swiss goalkeeper Jan Sommer saved his goal from dangerous attempts by Brian Mbimo and Choupo-Moting, while Toko Ekambi hit outside the goal very strangely.
Lions coach Rijpur Song outperformed his counterpart Murat Yakin, coach of the Swiss national team, who did not benefit from Granit Xhaka, Vargas, Ricardo Rodriguez, Shakiri, and Beryl Mbulo.
The most dangerous Swiss attempt came in stoppage time from a corner kick, which Manuel Akanji, Manchester City defender, met with a header next to the post.
And the scenario of the meeting turned around in the second half, as the Cameroonian Lions received a treacherous stab from Embolo, who scored Onana after a cross from Xherdan Shakiri.
Embolo, son of the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde, refused to celebrate the goal, fulfilling his promise before the match that he would not celebrate if Cameroon scored, out of consideration for its fans in the stands of the South Stadium.
In carbon, Switzerland almost added the second goal, but Onana this time brilliantly saved a chance from Ruben Vargas.
As for Cameroon’s attempts, it lacked enough ferocity and danger to shake the net of Swiss goalkeeper Jan Sommer, but rather miserable attempts by Choupo Moting and Zambo Anjesa.
Regport Song tried to activate the attacking axes, as he pushed the quartet Ondoa, Vincent Abubakar, Ngamalo and Nkodo instead of Ekambi, Chubu-Moting, Mbemo, and Hongla, but to no avail.
Xhaka hit a powerful ball caught by goalkeeper Onana, and the Swiss substitute Seferovic almost scored the second goal in stoppage time before the final whistle.