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Cameroon’s Best World Cup Moment

Travel Back to 1990

Italy 1990 was Cameroon’s second Cup. In their first-Spain 1982-they couldn’t make it out of their group. Now, two tournaments later, things were quite different. Advancing to the Round of 8, while earning one of the coolest nicknames in soccer, the Indomitable Lions.

The team that rewrote history in 1990 was led by a 38-year-old striker. That wasn’t an issue when defeating Argentina, the defending champions of the world.

Cameroon's players pose for a group picture ahead of the second leg of the 2022 Qatar World Cup African Qualifiers
AFP

World cup soccer 2022 will be their eighth World Cup appearance, trying to make it out of their group a second time. How did Cameroon become the Indomitable Lions?

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Dream Debut

Cameroon made its debut against Diego Armando Maradona and Argentina. Four years prior, La Albiceleste won its second title, which is why they were the soccer betting favorites to retain the crown.

Things didn’t start as expected, having lost to Cameroon, 1-0, despite finishing the game with two more players than the opposition. The African side pulled off the stunner on a goal by Francois Omam-Biyik, with goalkeeper Nery Pumpido as his accomplice.

Six minutes after scoring, Cameroon lost Andre Kana-Biyik to a red card. That wasn’t sufficient to get La Albiceleste the equalizer. Then, with only one minute remaining, Benjamin Massing was dismissed, too.

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The Roger Milla Show

So, after defeating Argentina, Cameroon became a sensation. They were highly motivated, and Romania paid the price. Once again, the Las Vegas odds weren’t on their side, but that didn’t prevent another victory.

It finished 2-1, with all three goals scored in the second half. Roger Milla, the aforementioned 38-year-old striker, came off the bench to save the day. It was Milla scoring the opener in the 76th minute, and subsequently increasing the advantage 10 minutes later. Gavril Balint scored Romania’s goal in the final two minutes.

Cameroon lost, 4-0, to the Soviet Union in its last group match. That didn’t matter, as the African side won Group B with four points.

The Indomitable Lions

Despite its Group B win, Cameroon wasn’t the betting online favorite to defeat Colombia in the Round of 16. Once again, they managed to defy the odds with a 2-1 stunner. Milla ended with another brace. He did it in a three-minute span in overtime. In other words, there were 30 more minutes of action. Bernardo Redin was the South American scorer after Milla’s brace, but Cameroon had become the Indomitable Lions.

England was next, and the Indomitable Lions nearly did it again. The Three Lions won, 3-2, in a back-and-forth battle that also went to overtime. England was ahead, but Cameroon turned things around in the second half. Later, the European side scored the penalty-spot equalizer with only seven minutes left. Another penalty helped it close the sale in overtime.

Cameroon in Qatar 2022

Cameroon returns to soccer’s grandest tournament after missing 2018. They will face Brazil, Switzerland, and Serbia in Group G. As was the case back in 1990, world cup odds aren’t on their side. They’re offering a +1200 price to win the group. Brazil is the overwhelming -225 favorite, with Switzerland priced at +450 and Serbia at +550. Nevertheless, we truly believe their chances are better now than in 1990.

Individually, Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko Ekambi are the main reasons to consider including the Indomitable Lions in your soccer picks. Both are candidates (+25000) to win the Golden Boot award. There are teams that don’t even have one player on the list.

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