Switzerland boasts a host of talent ready to gloriously display when they face off against AFCON 2021 bronze medallists Cameroon at the Al Wakrah Sports Complex. Will Granit Xhaka lead the Swiss to victory, or can Cameroon’s underdog title prove the driving force for victory?
To Win Match
Switzerland 15/20| Draw 51/20 | Cameroon 4/1
For Switzerland, Group G must feel nostalgic after being placed in the same group as Brazil and Serbia back in the Russia 2018 World Cup. The only new face to overcome is African giants Cameroon. Back in 2018, they finished two points behind Brazil but did finish the group undefeated.
Coach Murat Yakin took charge of Switzerland shortly after the 2021 European Championship quarter-final defeat to Spain. Yakin didn’t have much time before World Cup qualification began, winning a friendly 2-1 against Greece, before two shaky 0-0 draws against Italy and Northern Ireland.
Nonetheless, Switzerland was able to top their group. Their last three fixtures are wins over Portugal, Spain, and the Czech Republic with a scheduled friendly against Ghana on the 17th of November.
Switzerland has a side capable of beating any nation on their day. Granit Xhaka leading the charge is the type of no-nonsense leader you need in such a high-intensity environment. The backline and engine room are where the Red Crosses excel, but will there be enough to finish in the final third?
The hope of Africa has on occasion rested on the shoulders of Cameroon, and Group G will be a tough ask for head coach Rigobert Song and the Indomitable Lions. Cameroon’s last World Cup efforts were sub-par back in 2014, finishing bottom of the group, scoring just one goal against Brazil, courtesy of Joel Matip, and similarly in 2010, finishing bottom of the group.
The Cameroonian legend has been in charge for a number of years and led them to a bronze medal finish in the 2021 AFCON just last year. The Central African side defeated Algeria in their final bid at a spot in Qatar, but recent friendlies have not been so kind, losing to Uzbekistan and South Korea, with a 1-1 draw against Jamaica.
Cameroon are set to play one final friendly against Panama before they kick off their campaign. The Indomitable Lions’ lack of goals in World Cup finals could be close to an end, as Bayern Munich star Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Brentford FC’s Bryan Mbeumo are both firing and ready. Can Cameroon get their first win in seven previous attempts?
Verdict: Switzerland Win (15/20)
Cameroon poses a major threat in the front of the park with two lethal forwards, but I don’t believe they can garner enough possession to inflict damage. While Cameroon’s physicality in the midfield will be evident, the technical ability will enjoy more of the ball, resulting in a Swiss win.
