Match ends, Cameroon 3, Serbia 3.
CameroonCameroon3SerbiaSerbia3
Cameroon kept their hopes of reaching the World Cup last 16 alive as they battled back from two goals down to draw a six-goal thriller with Serbia in Group G.
Cameroon took the lead through Jean-Charles Castelletto but Strahinja Pavlovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic replied to give Serbia a half-time advantage.
Aleksandar Mitrovic added a third for Serbia and they looked to be cruising to a win that would have put them in a strong position to progress from the group.
However the Indomitable Lions roared back thanks to Vincent Aboubakar's superb lob and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's equaliser three minutes later.
Mitrovic had a chance to regain the lead for his side but the Fulham striker curled a shot wide in the closing moments after being teed up by Dusan Tadic.
Both sides lost their opening match so this result leaves them two points adrift of second-placed Switzerland, who lost 1-0 to group leaders Brazil later on Monday.
Both Serbia and Cameroon need to win their final games, against Switzerland and Brazil respectively, to keep alive their qualification hopes.
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In arguably the tournament's most entertaining game so far, Serbia started brightly and Mitrovic twice went close to giving his side the lead.
He hit the post before flashing a shot wide after the ball fell kindly to him in the box as Serbia made all the early running.
However Cameroon took the lead against the run of play when Nicolas N'Koulou flicked on a corner and Castelletto tapped his first international goal home from close range.
Serbia did not panic, though, and turned the game on its head in first-half stoppage time.
Pavlovic headed Serbia's first World Cup goal in 335 minutes of play before Milinkovic-Savic beat Cameroon keeper Devis Epassy with a low drive.
When Mitrovic finished off a brilliant Serbia passing move to give them a two-goal cushion, Dragan Stojkovic's side looked to be heading for a comfortable victory.
However, substitute Aboubakar gave Cameroon hope when he raced clear and, perhaps thinking he was offside, cut inside past a defender and casually scooped the ball over Vanja Milinkovic-Savic for one of the tournament's best goals.
Three minutes later the striker again beat the offside trap but this time squared the ball for ex-Stoke City striker Choupo-Moting to level from close range.
While Cameroon looked dangerous when they pushed for a winner, it was Mitrovic who had the best chance to snatch the victory, but he curled wide as Serbia were left to rue their inability to close out the match.
A defeat would have left Cameroon relying on Switzerland to beat Brazil in order to avoid elimination with a match to spare.
Instead Rigobert Song's side retain hope of getting out of the group stage for the first time since 1990, albeit their final game will be a difficult match against Brazil.
Player of the match
AboubakarVincent Aboubakar
with an average of 8.81
Cameroon
Avg
- Squad number10Player nameAboubakarAverage rating
8.81
- Squad number20Player nameMbeumoAverage rating
8.45
- Squad number11Player nameBassogogAverage rating
8.31
- Squad number15Player nameKundeAverage rating
8.20
- Squad number7Player nameNkoudouAverage rating
8.16
- Squad number13Player nameChoupo-MotingAverage rating
8.15
- Squad number14Player nameOum GouetAverage rating
8.13
- Squad number18Player nameHonglaAverage rating
8.06
- Squad number12Player nameToko EkambiAverage rating
7.86
- Squad number21Player nameCastellettoAverage rating
7.84
- Squad number5Player nameOndouaAverage rating
7.76
- Squad number25Player nameToloAverage rating
7.67
- Squad number3Player nameNkoulouAverage rating
7.61
- Squad number19Player nameCollins FaiAverage rating
7.60
- Squad number8Player nameZambo AnguissaAverage rating
7.53
- Squad number16Player nameEpassyAverage rating
6.88
Serbia
Avg
- Squad number20Player nameS Milinkovic-SavicAverage rating
6.21
- Squad number9Player nameMitrovicAverage rating
6.09
- Squad number10Player nameTadicAverage rating
6.07
- Squad number23Player nameV Milinkovic-SavicAverage rating
5.81
- Squad number2Player namePavlovicAverage rating
5.60
- Squad number17Player nameKosticAverage rating
5.52
- Squad number14Player nameZivkovicAverage rating
5.47
- Squad number16Player nameLukicAverage rating
5.38
- Squad number6Player nameMaksimovicAverage rating
5.28
- Squad number4Player nameMilenkovicAverage rating
5.22
- Squad number5Player nameVeljkovicAverage rating
5.19
- Squad number21Player nameDjuricicAverage rating
4.66
- Squad number13Player nameMitrovicAverage rating
4.52
- Squad number26Player nameGrujicAverage rating
4.48
- Squad number7Player nameRadonjicAverage rating
4.41
- Squad number15Player nameBabicAverage rating
4.34
Line-ups
Cameroon
Formation 4-3-3
- 16Epassy
- 19Fai Collins
- 21Castelletto
- 3NkoulouBooked at 24mins
- 25Tolo
- 8Zambo AnguissaSubstituted forOum Gouetat 81'minutes
- 18HonglaSubstituted forAboubakarat 55'minutes
- 15KundeSubstituted forOndouaat 67'minutes
- 20MbeumoSubstituted forNkoudouat 81'minutes
- 13Choupo-Moting
- 12Toko EkambiSubstituted forBassogogat 67'minutesBooked at 30mins
Substitutes
- 1Ngapandouetnbu
- 2Mbekeli
- 4Wooh
- 5Ondoua
- 6Ngamaleu
- 7Nkoudou
- 9Nsame
- 10Aboubakar
- 11Bassogog
- 14Oum Gouet
- 17Mbaizo
- 22Ntcham
- 24Ebosse
- 26Marou
Serbia
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 23V Milinkovic-Savic
- 4MilenkovicBooked at 90mins
- 5VeljkovicSubstituted forBabicat 78'minutes
- 2PavlovicSubstituted forMitrovicat 56'minutes
- 14ZivkovicSubstituted forRadonjicat 78'minutes
- 6Maksimovic
- 16Lukic
- 17KosticSubstituted forDjuricicat 90+2'minutes
- 10Tadic
- 20S Milinkovic-SavicSubstituted forGrujicat 79'minutes
- 9Mitrovic
Substitutes
- 1Dmitrovic
- 3Erakovic
- 7Radonjic
- 8Gudelj
- 11Jovic
- 12Rajkovic
- 13Mitrovic
- 15Babic
- 18Vlahovic
- 19Racic
- 21Djuricic
- 22Lazovic
- 24Ilic
- 25Mladenovic
- 26Grujic
- Referee:
- Mohammed Abdulla Hassan
- Attendance:
- 39,789
Match Stats
Home TeamCameroonAway TeamSerbia
- Possession
- Home41%
- Away59%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away15
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away5
- Corners
- Home4
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home8
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Cameroon 3, Serbia 3.
Post update
Foul by Dusan Tadic (Serbia).
Post update
Christian Bassogog (Cameroon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt saved. Marko Grujic (Serbia) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Filip Djuricic.
Post update
Attempt saved. Georges-Kévin Nkoudou (Cameroon) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is saved in the centre of the goal.
Booking
Nikola Milenkovic (Serbia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Nikola Milenkovic (Serbia).
Post update
Georges-Kévin Nkoudou (Cameroon) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Dusan Tadic (Serbia).
Post update
Collins Fai (Cameroon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Serbia. Filip Djuricic replaces Filip Kostic.
Post update
Offside, Serbia. Dusan Tadic tries a through ball, but Aleksandar Mitrovic is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt missed. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Serbia) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Dusan Tadic.
Post update
Attempt saved. Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Eric Choupo-Moting.
Post update
Dusan Tadic (Serbia) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Jean-Charles Castelletto (Cameroon).
Substitution
Substitution, Cameroon. Georges-Kévin Nkoudou replaces Bryan Mbeumo.
Substitution
Substitution, Cameroon. Samuel Oum Gouet replaces Frank Anguissa.
Post update
Corner, Cameroon. Conceded by Nemanja Radonjic.
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Comments
Join the conversation
If FIFA want to stop time wasting, why don't they apply the rules they created properly?
Goalkeepers must release the ball within 6 seconds of gaining full control over it with their hands.
That's a forgotten rule from about 10 years ago, as keepers take about 30 seconds to kick it out it would save at least 3 minutes each half.
Injured players must leave pitch for treatment.
I think a bit more common sense can be applied in some situations (so if someone is absolutely miles off for instance), but otherwise I think it has been a good change.
Cameroon 1-3 Serbia
Pat Nevin
Former Scotland winger on BBC Radio 5 Live:
"That is a beautiful goal in the end, Aleksandar Mitrovic won't get many easier this season. I was thinking just before that if they get another goal then Serbia can cruise to the end of the game."
_____
Once Everton touches you, eh Pat!🤪
I don't recall carbon neutral being mentioned at other events, Russian WC? China Olympics? F1 around the globe to name a few.
Qatari government should ask the BBC and its pundits to leave with immediate affect!
Great stuff and a real crazy competetive platform show match for the crowd and couch fans
It's unlikely, but hope Cameroon qualify from their group.