Cameroon scores happily at World Cup: Bayern star counters Serbia in six-goal excitement

In the duel of the losers in the opening game, Cameroon and Serbia deliver a heated exchange of blows.

Cameroon scores happily at World Cup: Bayern star counters Serbia in six-goal excitement

In the duel of the losers in the opening game, Cameroon and Serbia deliver a heated exchange of blows. Twice two goals come within seconds, but at the end of the game in Group G nobody is really happy. Neither does Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who makes the final score.

Bayern striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is threatening an early end of the World Cup with Cameroon despite a splendid race to catch up. Thanks to a goal by Munich's goalkeeper, the Africans still managed to win 3:3 (1:2) against Serbia after a two-goal deficit, but need support and a win against record world champions Brazil to progress.

Vincent Aboubakar (64th) and Choupo-Moting (66th) with his first World Cup goal secured at least one point for the Africans. Strahinja Pavlovic (1'45), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (3'45) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (53') had given the Serbs a comfortable lead earlier after Jean-Charles Castelletto (29') was responsible for Cameroon's first goal of the tournament . With one point each, both teams are doomed to win in the group final on Friday.

The Cameroonians were surprisingly missing their regular keeper Andre Onana, who had been suspended shortly before the game for disciplinary reasons. But there was also unrest among the Serbs: After the start against Brazil (0:2), a photo of a nationalist flag appeared in the dressing room, which also showed the outline of Kosovo in the Serbian national colors - FIFA is investigating.

The Serbs didn't show any of that in front of 39,789 spectators in Al-Wakrah at first. Top striker Mitrovic had the lead early on, initially only hit the post (11th) and a little later twisted free-standing (16th). Only then did the Africans start to defend themselves, ex-Mainz player Pierre Kunde failed from a good position (19').

Cameroon got into the game better and better - and were rewarded: Castelletto slotted the ball in from a corner at the far post and scored his team's first goal of the tournament. But the strong Serbs turned up the heat in injury time in the first half: First Pavlovic equalized after a dead ball, then Milinkovic-Savic turned the game upside down from 18 meters out.

Mitrovic, who had the 3-1 on his foot just before the break (45.3), did better after the break at the end of a great combination. The Africans then ran, the substitute Aboubakar made the game exciting again with a fantastic lob - and Choupo-Moting put the crown on the strong chase, even if Serbia ran again.