Next up, Switzerland face Brazil looking to secure back-to-back wins in Group G, with Cameroon up against Serbia.
Embolo scored the only goal of the game to get Switzerland off to a winning start in Group G. Second-best in the first half, the Swiss scored three minutes after the break. Xhaka started the move, sliding the ball down the right to Shaqiri who picked out Embolo in the middle of the box. Unmarked, the striker lashed the ball past Onana who had no chance. Switzerland could have scored a second through a similar move. This time it was Vargas who had the scoring opportunity, but the Inter goalkeeper pushed his attempt wide. Tired in the second 45 minutes, Cameroon should have taken the lead in the first. Mbeumo ignored Choupo-Moting in the middle of the box, lashing a shot from the left straight at Sommer before the Switzerland goalkeeper pushed away Hongla’s attempt later in the half.
That's all for today, goodbye.
90' + 7' FULL-TIME: SWITZERLAND 1-0 CAMEROON
90' + 6' BLOCK! Seferovic should have scored. He rolls the ball past Castelletto and shapes to shoot inside the box. Unleashing his effort, the defender recovers, throwing his body in front of the ball.
90' + 4' Castelletto's deep cross is headered up in the air by Elvedi and caught by Sommer.
90' + 3' Switzerland have a corner and are taking their time with it. Rieder walks towards the ball before playing it short to Seferovic.
90' + 2' Cameroon look tired despite making four substitutes. They keep giving possession away with loose passes and are struggling to build dangerous attacks. Instead, it is Switzerland who are the most likely to score.
90' There will be six minutes of additional time.
E. Cömert
R. Rodríguez
90' Substitution for Switzerland. Rodriguez is replaced by Comert.
89' SAVE! Onana makes another good save. Outside the box, Xhaka drills an effort towards the bottom corner, with the Cameroon goalkeeper matching his effort.
87' Fai puts too much power on the cross once again. It goes over everyone with the ball cleared away by the Switzerland defence.
85' Switzerland are looking to slow the game down. Akanji lets the ball roll out for a goal-kick. Sommer goes to take it, with the Manchester City man given the responsibility instead.
M. Akanji
Yellow Card
83' Akanji receives a yellow card after fouling Anguissa in the Cameroon half.
83' Rodriguez finds Rieder with a throughball down the left. Going low, his cross is diverted behind by Nkoulou who goes sliding in.
N. Moumi Ngamaleu
B. Mbeumo
81' Substitution for Cameroon. Mbeumo is replaced by Ngamaleu.
F. Rieder
R. Vargas
81' Substitution for Switzerland. Vargas is replaced by Rieder.
80' On the right, Fai's deep cross goes over the head of Sommer and out for a goal-kick.
78' Nkoudou has been energetic since coming on. The winger keeps looking to receive the ball and beat defenders, as well as press tirelessly to win possession back for his side.
76' Aboubakar and Nkoudou combine with the latter receiving the ball on the left. Looking to move inside the box, the substitute is tackled by Widmer and Freuler.
G. Nkoudou
K. Toko Ekambi
74' Substitution for Cameroon. Ekambi is replaced by Nkoudou in the attack.
V. Aboubakar
E. Choupo-Moting
74' Substitution for Cameroon. Captain Choupo-Moting is replaced by Aboubakar who takes the armband.
N. Okafor
X. Shaqiri
72' Substitution for Switzerland. Shaqiri, has been directly involved in 50 per cent of Switzerland’s 24 goals over the last four major tournaments, scoring eight times and delivering four assists, is replaced by Okafor.
H. Seferović
B. Embolo
72' Substitution in the attack for Switzerland. Embolo, who has scored the only goal so far, is replaced by the experienced Seferovic.
F. Frei
D. Sow
71' Substitution for Switzerland. Sow is replaced by Frei.
70' Cameroon have failed to win in their last four matches when conceding the opening goal in the World Cup dating back to 24th June 2010 against Netherlands. They have struggled in the attack in the second half.
G. Ondoua
M. Hongla
68' Straight swap in the midfield for Cameroon. Hongla is replaced by Ondoua.
67' BIG SAVE! Onana keeps Switzerland in the game. Similar to the opening goal, it is Vargas who is unmarked in the middle of the box this time. His effort is powerful, with the goalkeeper getting down to push his effort wide.
67' Chance for Cameroon. Mbeumo's free-kick finds Anguissa who heads the ball straight at Sommer.
66' Ondoua is ready to come on for Cameroon.
N. Elvedi
Yellow Card
64' Yellow card for Elvedi. He pulls back Choupo-Moting who rolled past him with the ball just past the halfway mark.
62' Hongla receives the ball from Choupo-Moting inside the Switzerland half. Moving forward, he has three defenders around him and is made to play the ball back.
60' Switzerland are part of a group of only three European teams – Belgium and France are the others – to have reached the knockout stages in each of the last four major international tournaments (WC + Euro).
58' Chance for Cameroon. From a tight angle, Choupo-Moting rolls the ball past Akanji before smashing a shot against Sommer.
56' Switzerland have gained momentum from their early second half goal. They are moving the ball quickly and with confidence. Cameroon are starting to commit more men forward, leaving space for Switzerland to exploit.
54' Mbeumo curls a high free-kick from the right into the gloves of Sommer who was ready for it.
52' Embolo looks for a second, racing towards a launched ball forward. However, he cannot get there before Onana who comes out to claim.
50' Switzerland have avoided defeat in their last seven matches when scoring the opening goal in the World Cup dating back to 15th July 1966 against Spain (L1-2).
X. Shaqiri
Assist
49' Shaqiri's cross is perfect. He finds Embolo with a cross from the right, evading the Cameroon defenders. The striker then crashes the ball in. Shaqiri is just the third Swiss player to make 10 appearances at the World Cup after Valon Behrami and Stephan Lichtsteiner, and just the second to appear at four different editions of the competition after Behrami (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022).
B. Embolo
Goal
48' GOAALLLL! EMBOLO SCORES! 1-0 SWITZERLAND! He couldn’t miss that chance! Xhaka lays the ball down the right to Shaqiri who cuts it across the box. Unmarked in the middle, Embolo lashes his effort past Onana from close range. The striker has scored in each of his last three competitive appearances for Switzerland, his best run for the national side.
47' Cameroon didn't face a single shot on target in the first half of a World Cup game for only the second time in their history after 2002 v Germany, when they eventually lost 2-0. However, Akanji should have hit the target with Switzerland's final chance of the opening 45 minutes.
46' Cameroon get the second half underway.
Switzerland were the better team in the opening few minutes, but have not looked threatening on the attack. Sat in a low block for parts of the first half, Cameroon have cleared away most of the crosses that go into the box, with Shaqiri struggling to make an impact. Their two best chances have come through corners, with Embolo quiet for most of the first 45 minutes. Cameroon have looked dangerous on the counter. Staying high, Ekambi and Mbeumo have allowed Song's side to move forward quickly after winning possession in the midfield. Choupo-Moting has looked good at times, but he has been isolated, with the wingers far away from him due to the width that they have created.
The opening game in Group G is goalless at half-time with Cameroon having the better of the chances. Dangerous on the counter, their best opportunity came through Mbeumo. Charging down the left side of the box, the Brentford man ignored Choupo-Moting in the middle, blasting a shot straight at Sommer. The Switzerland goalkeeper then denied Hongla later in the half, who received the ball on the right after a quick one-two between Mbeumo and Choupo-Moting. Yet to have a shot on target, Switzerland's best chance of the half came through Akanji. He leapt the highest to meet a corner from Vargas but missed the goal.
45' + 3' HALF-TIME: SWITZERLAND 0-0 CAMEROON
45' + 2' Late free-kick for Cameroon. Ekambi curls the ball into the box, but cannot find a target. Instead, his cross goes harmlessly into the gloves of Sommer.
45' + 1' WIDE! Akanji has Switzerland's best opportunity of the half. He jumps the highest to meet a corner from Vargas, but he heads the ball wide. He only gets a small amount of contact on the cross and may have scored with a better connection.
45' There will be two minutes of additional time.
42' Mbeumo's corner is flicked away by Embolo. It came after Choupo-Moting had a shot deflected wide.
41' Elvedi heads the ball wide after latching onto a corner from Vargas. Switzerland have not had a shot on target so far in this game.
40' A brilliant challenge from Castelletto. Surging towards the goal, Embolo is one-on-one with Onana and looks likely to score before the defender comes across to divert the ball out for a goal-kick.
39' Freuler chips the ball towards Sow, but it goes over his head and out for a goal-kick.
C. Fai
Yellow Card
36' Fai receives a yellow card after charging into Elvedi. He fails to reach a long ball forward from Anguissa, crashing into the defender who gets there first.
34' Usually, on the right, Shaqiri finds himself on the left, curling the ball into the box after receiving a pass from Embolo. It goes deep, with nobody there to get on the end of it.
32' Cameroon have qualified for their eighth World Cup, the most by an African team. They have also played more matches at the World Cup than any other African nation (23), while only Nigeria (23) have scored more goals at the tournament among African sides than Cameroon (18).
30' GREAT PLAY! Smart one-two between Mbeumo and Choupo-Moting sees the latter move into space just outside the box. Mbeumo then slides the ball to Hongla who shoots from the right. Inside the box, Sommer pushes his effort away with Widmer clearing the danger.
28' Both teams are utilising their wingers. For Cameroon, Ekambi and Mbeumo are creating width by stretching the pitch as much as possible, receiving the ball and bursting inside. Switzerland's Vargas and Shaqiri are also getting plenty of touches, but are putting more crosses into the box.
26' A wild shot from Fai. He goes forward with the ball after the play was switched to him, lashing his effort over from well outside the box.
23' Cameroon move forward through Mbeumo who receives the ball from Anguissa. Shaping to shoot, Switzerland get men behind the ball, with the Bretford winger playing it back to Anguissa. On the left, possession is switched to Ekambi who wins a corner after his cross is blocked.
21' Gouet looks to clip a deep pass towards Choupo-Moting, but the ball goes over the head of the former Stoke City forward and straight to Sommer.
19' Xhaka looks to chip the ball over to Widmer who rushes into the box but his pass has too much power on it, bouncing out for a goal-kick.
16' Shaqiri's corner from the left is cleared away. Both of his corners have failed to find a Switzerland head.
14' Switzerland have topped their group only once previously at the World Cup, it was in 2006. That was the year they became the only team to date not to concede a single goal at a World Cup (four games, zero goal conceded).
12' Vargas involved again. Down the left, he bursts past his marker before dragging the ball across the box. Looking for Embolo, the striker is not there.
10' OVER! Big chance for Cameroon. Mbeumo bursts down the left of the box, ignoring Choupo-Moting in the middle, electing to shoot instead. From a tight angle, his attempt is pushed away, with Toko-Ekambi blasting over the rebound.
9' Vargas gets his first few touches on the ball. On the left, the winger cuts inside looking for Sow with a curling cross but Cameroon clear it away.
7' Mbeumo clips a free-kick from the left into the box, but the ball is cleared away by Xhaka.
6' Switzerland have a clear plan. When moving forward, they keep looking to play the ball down the right where Shaqiri is positioned.
4' Switzerland are dominating possession in the opening few minutes. Cameroon are letting their opponents have the ball in deep positions and are not pressing them until they move into their defensive third.
2' Shaqiri curls a low corner into the box from the right, but it is cleared away.
1' Switzerland get this World Cup clash under way.
This is the first ever encounter between Switzerland and Cameroon. It’s also only the second time that Switzerland will face African opposition at the World Cup – they beat Togo 2-0 in the group stages of the 2006 tournament.
As for Cameroon, Song makes two alterations to the team that drew with Panama. Gouet replaces Ntcham in the midfield, with Choupo-Moting leading the attack instead of Aboubakar.
Switzerland make three changes to the team that lost to Ghana last time out. Rodriguez, Elvedi and Sow all start, with Schar, Comert and Zakaria dropping to the bench.
CAMEROON SUBS: Simon Ngapandouetnbu, Devis Epassy, Jerome Ngom Mbekeli, Christopher Wooh, Gael Ondoua, Moumi Ngamaleu, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Jean-Pierre Nsame, Vincent Aboubakar, Christian Bassogog, Pierre Kunde, Olivier Mbaizo, Olivier Ntcham, Enzo Ebosse, Souaibou Marou.
CAMEROON (4-3-3): Andre Onana; Collins Fai, Jean-Charles Castelletto, Nicolas Nkoulou, Nouhou Tolo; Frank Anguissa, Martin Hongla, Samuel Oum Gouet; Bryan Mbeumo, Eric Choupo-Moting, Karl Toko-Ekambi.
SWITZERLAND SUBS: Jonas Omlin, Gregor Kobel, Philipp Kohn, Edimilson Fernandes, Denis Zakaria, Haris Seferovic, Michel Aebischer, Christian Fassnacht, Eray Comert, Noah Okafor, Fabian Frei, Fabian Schar, Fabian Rieder, Ardon Jashari.
As for Cameroon, they beat Algeria on away goals in a two-legged playoff to reach the World Cup after finishing at the top of their qualifying group. Since then, Rigobert Song’s side were victorious over Burundi in the group stage of the African Cup of Nations qualifiers and have played four friendlies since September 23. The fourth-lowest-ranked team in the tournament, Cameroon failed to win any of the fixtures, losing to Uzbekistan and South Korea before drawing with Jamaica and Panama.
Switzerland qualified for their fifth consecutive World Cup after an unbeaten campaign in their group. They finished two points above Euro 2020 champions Italy, drawing home and away with Roberto Mancini’s side. The Swiss then retained their spot in League A of the Nations League. After losing their first three games, wins against Portugal, Spain and the Czech Republic secured their place in the division ahead of their final-day opponents. Last time out, Murat Yakin’s team lost 2-0 to Ghana in a World Cup warm-up match.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of today's World Cup Group G clash between Switzerland and Cameroon.
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