Cameroon will play in their eighth World Cup at Qatar. No other African country has participated in more. One of the most intriguing teams in the tournament is part of Group G alongside Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland. Undoubtedly, the fight for a place in the Round of 16 will be against the two European squads considering Brazil is a clear favorite to win it all.
The best performance in history for the Indomitable Lions was unforgettable during the 1990 World Cup played in Italy. Surprisingly, in that edition, Cameroon won Group B against rivals such as Romania, the Soviet Union and Argentina. They shocked the world in the opener by beating the reigning champions 1-0 in Milan and surpassed the Round of 16 with a 2-1 victory against Colombia. The dream ended in the quarterfinals after a thriller in Naples with England (3-2).
Cameroon are a five-time winner of the African Cup of Nations (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002 and 2017). Another extraordinary achievement for the country was the gold medal conquered in the 2000 Summer Olympics at Sydney. Now, they'll try what's never been done before. An African team hoisting the World Cup's trophy.
How did Cameroon qualify for Qatar 2022?
The road to Qatar for Cameroon is one of the greatest stories ever. Because of their ranking, Rigobert Song's team avoided the first round, but in the second stage had a tremendous battle with Ivory Coast. Only the Group D winner would advance to the third round. Both countries divided victories against each other and, in a remarkable turn of events, the difference was an incredible draw by Ivory Coast with Mozambique.
So, Cameroon ended with 15 points and Ivory Coast were eliminated with 13. In the third and last phase, the ten group winners from the second round played five home-away series. During the draw, Cameroon were set with Algeria, the 2019 African champions and one of the favorites to become a surprise in Qatar 2022.
In the first leg, Cameroon fell 1-0 at home in Douala and everything seemed lost. Then, in the decisive match played in Blida, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting tied the series (22') and send it to extra time with a 1-1 aggregate score. Algeria took advantage in minute 118' and, miraculously, Cameroon got the 2-2 in minute 120+4' with a historic goal from Toko Ekambi. No one could believe what happened. Thanks to away goals as the tiebreaker, Cameroon won their ticket to Qatar 2022.
