Embolo tames ‘his’ Cameroon for Switzerland
The Cameroon-born striker gives 3 gold points to the Helvetians
MADRID, 24 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Swiss team beat Cameroon this Thursday (1-0) in the debut of both teams in the World Cup in Qatar, in a Group G duel in which a solitary goal by Breel Embolo after the break ended some Cameroonians who were better in the first part but they ended up sunk and melted.
Breel Emboló tamed ‘his’ Cameroon for Switzerland. The AS Monaco striker was born in Yaoundé (Cameroon) and did not want to celebrate his goal. Somewhat key, that he is worth 3 points for the Swiss country -with which he has always played internationally-, and that he leaves the ‘indomitable lions’ (who are not so much anymore) of Cameroon touched.
Cameroon started well positioned on the field of play and running judiciously towards Yann Sommer’s goal. The first half was for the Africans, who already had a double chance at 10′ in the boots of Bryan Mbeumo and Karl Toko Ekambi, but Sommer deflected the shot from the first and the former Villarreal man sent it over the crossbar.
After half an hour, in the umpteenth dangerous transition play for Cameroon, and playing practically at the first touch, midfielder Martin Hongla joined the attack and his shot was deflected, again, by Yann Sommer who kept Switzerland alive until, Central Europeans took control. Not before Silvan Widmer avoided another scare, taking a shot from Ekambi almost over the line of the small area.
The ‘indomitable lions’ began to pay dearly for their physical efforts. In addition, on a moral level, they paid dearly for that dominance without fruit, without a goal. Little by little, Switzerland was recovering the initiative, also a possession that came to dominate Cameroon, and chances came for the Swiss.
Before the break, Nico Elvedi began to warn Cameroon with a header from a corner that narrowly missed. And, in added time, Manuel Akanji combed the ball too much in another corner. And the third was the charm.
At 48′, a key moment, Switzerland changed the game script. The powerful Breel Embolo, who did not celebrate it in honor of his origins, took advantage of the assistance of Xherdan Shakiri, who put it on perfectly, to push the ball into the back of the net defended by a sold-out André Onana.
From then on, Cameroon was unable to turn the tables. With some unsuccessful changes by the coach Rigobert Song, who removed, for example, a Choupo-Moting who was being the best of his team, the Africans dwindled until they disappeared from the map.
And, in the end, Switzerland took all three points and was about to leave with a better income. The ‘refreshment’ Haris Seferovic went alone after winning a duel against Cameroonian central defender Jean-Charles Castelletto but, after cutting and aiming, his shot hit Castelletto himself, who reacted well to his mistake. Switzerland breathes and Cameroon will have to recover from a bad result in a correct match.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: SWITZERLAND, 1 – CAMEROON, 0 (0-0, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
SWITZERLAND: Yann Sommer; Silvan Widmer, Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodriguez (Eray Comert, min.90); Remo Freuler, Granite Rock; Xherdan Shaqiri (Noah Okafor, 72 mins), Mohameth Sow (Fabian Frei, 72 mins), Ruben Vargas (Fabian Rieder, 81 mins); and Breel Embolus (Haris Seferovic, min.72).
CAMEROON: Andre Onana; Collins Fai, Jean-Charles Castelletto; Samuel Oum Goulet, Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa, Martin Hongla (Gael Ondoua, min.68); Bryan Mbeumo (81 mins), Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (74 mins) and Karl Toko Ekambi (74 mins) were the only players to score.
–GOALS.
1-0 Min.48, Penis.
–REFEREE: Facundo Tello (ARG). He admonished Nico Elvedi (min.64), Manuel Akanji (min.83) in Switzerland and Collins Fai (min.36) in Cameroon.
–STADIUM: Al Yanub Stadium.