Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar got here off the bench to attain one objective and arrange one other because the Indomitable Lions rescued some extent of their 3-3 draw with Serbia on Monday that ended a run of eight successive World Cup losses for the African facet.
The roller-coaster Group G fixture leaves either side on a single level from their two video games, nonetheless simply in competition for a final 16 place, though Cameroon should face Brazil of their last match on Friday, whereas Serbia tackle Switzerland.
Jean-Charles Castelletto gave Cameroon the lead simply earlier than the half-hour mark, however a quick-fire double on the finish of the primary interval from Strahinja Pavlovic and the massively spectacular Sergej Milinkovic-Savic swung the sport in Serbia’s favour.
When Aleksandar Mitrovic added one other early within the second interval his facet appeared in full management and cruising to a win.
But Aboubakar, who top-scored on the Africa Cup of Nations finals earlier this 12 months, turned the sport round when he got here off the bench.
He netted a high-quality solo objective with an audacious chip over the keeper to cut back the deficit, earlier than breaking ahead and crossing to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to smash within the equaliser three minutes later.
It was Serbia who had began the brighter, nonetheless. After Mitrovic had floated a header over the bar, he struck the submit when his fast footwork created a capturing probability from a decent angle.
He had one other large alternative when Cameroon made a hash of clearing their strains and the ball fell to him eight yards out with the entire objective to goal at, however he fired large.
Cameroon took the lead from a set-piece after Serbia had needlessly conceded a nook. Castelletto obtained on the tip of Nicolas N’Koulou’s flick to faucet house on the again submit.
Serbia levelled in first half injury-time by way of a objective that was additionally easy in its execution. Dusan Tadic floated a free-kick into the field and Pavlovic rose highest to direct the ball into the nook of the web.
They grabbed the lead two minutes later when the Cameroon defence allowed Milinkovic-Savic time to choose his spot from the sting of the field and steered the ball into the web.
The third for Serbia was a fantastically labored that was began and completed by Mitrovic. He drove in the direction of the Cameroon field and after a succession of passes contained in the penalty space, the ball was squared by Andrija Zivkovic and the burly quantity 9 had a easy tap-in.
That was the cue for Aboubakar to return off the bench. First he supplied an ideal chip into the web for 3-2, then he beat the offside entice, raced clear and whipped over a low cross for Choupo-Moting to degree the tie and maintain Cameroon alive within the competitors. (
