Song: Onana axe may have been the trigger for Cameroon

Cameroon and Serbia are still alive after a game that had it all

Mon, 28 Nov, 2022 - 15:55

Joe Callaghan reports from Al Janoub Stadium

World Cup Group G: Cameroon 3 Serbia 3

André Onana didn’t want to go long. He went long-haul instead. His Cameroon teammates are going nowhere after they survived a wild, chaotic classic of the unexpected-World-Cup-barnstormers genre.

We had six goals, two of the Serbians’ separated by 150 seconds in the first half, two of Cameroon's separated by 150 seconds in the second half. We had a 50th international goal for Aleksandar Mitrovic, a quite stunning scooped chip from Vincent Aboubakar and plenty more besides. And at the end of it all, we were right back where we started.

The only thing we didn’t have was Onana. The Inter Milan goalkeeper was absent at Al Thanoub Stadium on Monday, the reason a dispute over long-ball instructions from Song.

“Andre has now been left out for disciplinary reasons," the manager confirmed afterwards. "I think we needed to make that decision

"It was something that had to happen and maybe it was the trigger we needed for this performance. In a squad you need to see discipline and if you can’t fit in with that discipline, with what’s required to be part of a squad, then you need to accept responsibility for that."

Onana's replacement, the largely untested Devis Epassy, didn’t convince as he did little to stop a scorching Serbia fightback under the afternoon sun. No matter, Song’s outfielders did enough fighting for him as the stadium air-conditioning was given its truest test by two teams who started hot and stayed there for 90 minutes and more.

It took us 28 minutes to get the scoring going but it had been plenty open before that. Mitrovic nearly broke Epassy’s far post with driving effort shortly before the opener, which came from a needlessly conceded corner.

Pierre Kunde whipped it in and as the Serbians focused on Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Nicolas N’Koulou ghosted behind him and flicked to defensive partner Jean-Charles Castelletto who buried his first international goal.

We were off to the races, the only surprise being that we had to wait a full 16 minutes for the next one. A free-kick in first-half injury time offered Dusan Tadic range to weave some magic and he duly did, wrapping a lovely little ball in that defender Strahinja Pavlovic buried with a quite brilliant header. Cameroon were rattled and rocking and Serbia sensed it.

When Andre Zambo Anguissa cheaply gave the ball away two minutes later, the Serbs were on it — and ahead — in a flash. Andrija Zivkovic cut in and fed Sergej Milinkovic-Savic who found little resistance as he placed it between defenders and beyond Epassy, who should have done better.

The next was a picture. Eight minutes after the restart and with Cameroon coming out more and opening up in search of the equaliser, Serbia passed their way to a two-goal lead. Tadic, Milinkovic-Savic and Mitrovic all linked up to find Zivkovic who helped tease Epassy out into isolation and Mitrovic rolled in his 50th international goal in just 78 caps.

Onana would have the last laugh, surely. Wrong. An 11-minute lull was broken by Cameroon, with delicious irony, going long. Centre back Castelletto sent one for substitute Aboubakar to race clear on to, he cut back to leave Nikola Milenkovic and then Mickelsoned a gorgeous flop shot over the onrushing Vanj MIlinkovic-Savic. It was ruled offside before VAR mercifully corrected things.

Within a minute Aboubakar spun out wide and scorched down the wing to square to Choupo-Moting and we were level. There are much flowery terms and better technical analysis surely to be had but in the simplest words, it was all great craic.

A few more chances came, Mitrovic had the best of them. They swung haymakers to the last but 3-3 it stayed. An unexpected classic but a classic nonetheless.

Will Onana be back for a must-win against Brazil?

“At the moment I’ve asked him to wait and we will see if he is going to stay with us. It’s up to him," Song said. “The squad is more important than the interests of the individual.”

Cameroon (4-3-3): Epassy; Fai, Castelletto, N’Koulou, Tolo; Zambo Anguissa (Gouet 81), Kunde, Hongla (Aboubakar 55); Mbeumo (N’Koudou 81), Choupo-Moting, Toko Ekambi (Bassogog 67).

Booked: N’Koulou, Bassogog.

Serbia (3-4-2-1): V Milinkovic-Savic; Milenkovic, Veljkovic (Babic 78), Pavlovic (S Mitrovic 56); Zivkovic (Radonjic 78), Lukic, Maksimovic, Kostic; Tadic, S Milinkovic-Savic (Grujic 78); A Mitrovic.

Booked: Jovic, Milenkovic.

Referee: M Mohammed (UAE)

Att: 39,789