Tactical Tweak Inspires Fight Back

Pulsating and nail biting. The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon roared back to claim a 3-3 draw against Serbia last night at the Al Janoub Stadium in a game that will go into the records as one of the most entertaining in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
It seemed like the Lions had learned their lessons when they took a first half lead through Jean Charles Castelletto but capitulated just before half time and the start of the second half. To their credit, they did fight their way back into a game that revealed their unpredictability.

Double-Edged High Press
Contrary to the Swiss game where the Lions sat back and waited for their opponents, they went out all guns blazing against Serbia, pressing from the first minute. It was Cameroon’s high pressing in midfield that forced the Serbians to concede the corner from which the Indomitable Lions got their lead. However, the press faded away just after the half hour mark as legs started tiring and the Lions paid dearly, conceding two goals in added time of the first half.

Aboubakar Silences Doubters
Vincent Aboubakar rose up to the occasion when needed most by his team. His introduction ten minutes into the second half with the Lions 3-1 down inspired the come-back as Rigobert Song tweaked his formation to a 4-4-2. The Al Nassr striker beat the offside trap on 63 minutes to score one of the best goals of the tournament before ghosting behind the Serbian defence again two minutes later to lay off for Choupo Moting who levelled scores. A goal and an assist in just over half an hour earned him the man-of-the-match award and silenced his critics.

Loopsided Attacks
Cameroon showed they could attack in games with the right approach and mentality. A very much improved performance saw them record eight shots on target with an expected goal ratio of 2,37, almost as twice as Serbia. However, they looked almost predictable when attacking the final third with 54 percent of their attacks coming from the right flank and 20 percent from the left flank. Byan Mbeumo and subsequently Bassogog were the main channels on the right when Cameroon bu...