Cameroon World Cup 2022 preview - prediction, fixtures, squad, star player

The Indomitable Lions lost all three matches at the group stage in 2010 and 2014 having failed to reach Germany in 2006, so they are looking for their first point in the competition since 2002.

Head coach Rigobert Song, who remains his country's leading appearance maker from his playing career, will desperately be hoping to improve that record this time around.

Here, Sports Mole assesses Cameroon's chances at the 2022 World Cup.

GROUP

As bottom seeds in April's draw, Cameroon were always likely to be handed a difficult task in terms of reaching the knockout stages for the first time since 1990.

It would be a huge shock if top seeds and pre-tournament outright favourites Brazil did not top Group G, but Cameroon may fancy their chances against European nations Switzerland and Serbia.

With the Indomitable Lions facing those two nations in their first two matches, Song's side will surely need two positive results before hoping to face an unmotivated Brazil outfit who may have already secured their place in the next round.

FIXTURES

November 24: Switzerland vs. Cameroon (10am, Al Janoub Stadium, Al-Wakrah)

November 28: Cameroon vs. Serbia (10am, Al Janoub Stadium, Al-Wakrah)

December 2: Cameroon vs. Brazil (7pm, Lusail Stadium, Lusail)

HOW THEY QUALIFIED

Cameroon were paired alongside Ivory Coast in Group D of African qualifying's second round, with only one place available to progress to the third and final round.

With both sides beating each other on their home turf, Ivory Coast's 0-0 draw in Mozambique ultimately proved fatal as Cameroon won all five of their other matches to claim top spot and set up a two-legged playoff against Algeria for a place at the World Cup.

Despite enduring a miserable Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon - when they were dumped out of the group stage - Algeria headed into the playoff as favourites given their superior individual quality as well as the fact that Song had only replaced Toni Conceicao as head coach one month prior.

Islam Slimani's strike put the Algerians in pole position with a 1-0 win in Douala, but Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's away goal in Blida sent the second leg into extra time.

Ahmed Touba's 118th-minute goal sent the Algerian crowd into delirium as they looked to have booked their place in Qatar, but Karl Toko Ekambi broke their hearts in the fourth minute of injury time to send Cameroon through on away goals.

RECENT FORM

Since beating Algeria in March, Song has only presided over four matches, beating Burundi 1-0 in June before failing to beat Uzbekistan, South Korea and Jamaica in friendlies.

The Indomitable Lions' only goal across those three matches came via Djawal Kaiba's equaliser against Jamaica last week, with their performances perhaps a cause for concern for Song.

Cameroon's last warm-up match for the World Cup will be against Panama in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Friday, with the former Liverpool defender likely to be desperate to lay down a marker ahead of their opening match against Switzerland six days later.

He will take confidence from his side finishing third at AFCON earlier this year, although that performance under his predecessor was undoubtedly boosted by having home advantage as well as a generous route to the semi-finals, where they were defeated by Egypt on penalties.

SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Andre Onana (Inter Milan), Devis Epassy (Abha), Simon Ngapandouetnbu (Marseille)

Defenders: Nicolas Nkoulou (Aris), Collins Fai (Al-Tai), Nouhou Tolo (Seattle Sounders), Jean-Charles Castelletto (Nantes), Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union), Enzo Ebosse (Udinese), Christopher Wooh (Rennes)

Midfielders: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli), Pierre Kunde (Olympiacos), Samuel Gouet (Mechelen), Martin Hongla (Hellas Verona), Gael Ondoua (Hannover 96), Olivier Ntcham (Swansea City), Jerome Ngom (APEJES de Mfou)

Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar (Al-Nassr), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich), Karl Toko Ekambi (Lyon), Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenhua), Moumi Ngamaleu (Dynamo Moscow), Jean-Pierre Nsame (Young Boys), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Besiktas), Souaibou Marou (Coton Sport)

STAR PLAYER - ERIC MAXIM CHOUPO-MOTING

Although captain Vincent Aboubakar has a superior goalscoring record at international level with 33 goals in 88 caps, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is undoubtedly Cameroon's most in-form player at an elite level heading into the tournament.

The 33-year-old has bagged 11 goals in 16 appearances leading the line for Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich this season, having unexpectedly filled the shoes of Robert Lewandowski, who departed for Barcelona during the summer transfer window.

Choupo-Moting has regularly played second fiddle in Bavaria and at Paris Saint-Germain in recent seasons, but he has thrived since being handed the opportunity of regular football under Julian Nagelsmann, recently scoring in seven successive matches before his missed penalty against Werder Bremen ended that run.

He is likely to form a fearsome front three alongside Aboubakar and Lyon's Ekambi, although Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo and pacey wide man Moumi Ngamaleu make Cameroon well-stocked in attacking areas.

MANAGER - RIGOBERT SONG

Having been Cameroon Under-23's manager for four years between 2018 and his promotion in February earlier this year, Rigobert Song felt like the natural successor once Toni Conceicao had been dismissed in February.

Song, whose 137 caps for his country during his playing career remains a national record, is embarking on his first senior managerial role, and it is fair to say he got off to the perfect start with their dramatic victory on away goals against Algeria to qualify for Qatar.

Nicknamed "Big Chief" as a player due to his commanding presence on and off the pitch, Song enjoyed three years in the English Premier League with Liverpool and West Ham United between 1999 and 2002, although he is often most fondly remembered for his unique hair colours.

He appeared at four separate World Cups for the Indomitable Lions between 1994 and 2010, and he is one of only two players - alongside France's Zinedine Zidane - to have been sent off at two separate World Cups.

WORLD CUP RECORD

Best finish: Quarter-finals (1990)

Cameroon have appeared at seven World Cups, with Qatar set to be their eighth time competing on the grandest stage of them all, but they have only once reached the knockout stages.

That achievement came at Italia '90, when they finished top of Group B after sensationally beating Argentina and Romania before losing to Soviet Union after they had already qualified for the last 16.

The Indomitable Lions defeated Colombia 2-1 after extra time courtesy of two quickfire strikes from 38-year-old Roger Milla in the 106th and 108th minutes, before losing 3-2 after extra time to England in the quarter-finals, in what remains one of the Three Lions' most famous World Cup matches.

Since 1990, Cameroon have won only one of their 15 matches - against Saudi Arabia in Japan in 2002 - having finished without a single point to their name in each of their last two appearances in 2010 and 2014.

PREDICTION

Cameroon have struggled at this level in recent appearances, having finished bottom of their group in 2010 and 2014, and we expect that to continue in Qatar this time around.

While it would not be a huge surprise to see them go one better by claiming a point or two, we can not see them finishing above two of Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia in what appears to be an incredibly competitive group.

VERDICT: Fourth in Group G