On Saturday, December 2, in Lusail, at the Lusail Ikonik Stadium, the third round match of the group stage of the 2022 World Cup will take place, in which the national teams of Brazil and Cameroon will play. The starting whistle will sound at 21:00 Kyiv time.
Cameroon
The Indomitable Lions have made it to the final stages of the World Championships seven times in history, and achieved their main achievement in 1990, when they managed to reach the quarterfinals. However, after that, their performances at the Mundials, to put it mildly, left much to be desired.
At the world championship in Qatar, the Cameroon team started with a minimal defeat from Switzerland (0:1). Then Rigobert Song’s team came close to losing to Serbia, but managed to win back two goals and achieved a 3-3 draw, which leaves them with theoretical chances for the playoffs.
To reach the 1/8 finals of the Cameroon national team, you need not only to beat Brazil, but also hope for a favorable outcome in the parallel match between Serbia and Switzerland. The Africans will be satisfied with both a draw and a Serbian victory with a small, preferably minimal, margin.
Brazil
The Brazilian national team is a five-time world champion, which is a record. However, after 2002, the Canarinha not only failed to take the title, or at least play in the Mundial final. The Brazilians have made it past the quarter-finals only once since then. Yes, they made it so far that it became a national shame – the legendary 1: 7 from Germany in the semi-finals of the 2014 home world championship.
In Qatar, Tite’s team, after two starting rounds, secured access to the 1/8 finals ahead of schedule, beating Serbia (2:0) and Switzerland (1:0) in turn. In the upcoming match, it is likely that the Brazilians will play with a reserve squad, and the base will receive additional rest before the playoff stage. Barring a mega sensation, Brazil will easily finish in first place in the quartet.
Estimated compositions
Cameroon: Epassi – Tolo, N’Kulu, Castelletto, Fai, Kunde, Ongla, Angissa, Toko Ekambi, Shupo-Moting, Mbeumo.
Brazil: Alisson – Telles, Silva, Marquinhos, Militao, Package, Casemiro, Fred, Vinicius Junior, Richarlison, Rafinha.
December 2, Saturday
