Cape Town - Cameroon will be making an eighth appearance at the World Cup. Their 1990 team was the upstarts at Italia 90 where they miraculously beat defending champions Argentina, led by the great Diego Maradona.
The went on to reached the quarter-finals where they succumbed to Bobby Robson's England in extra time. It was the first time in history that an African team reached the World Cup quarter-finals. They could spring a surprise or two again and hope to put an end to a 20-year wait for another win on the World Cup stage.
They have top-flight players with plenty of Champions League and Europa League experience under their belts, among them Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting of Bayern Munich, Karl Toko Ekambi of Lyon, Andre Onana of Ajax and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa of Naples.
After two years with Paris Saint-Germain, Choupo-Moting is enjoying the start of his third season at Bayern Munich with 10 goals in all competitions. If he manages to add to his 18 international goals for Cameroon, the Indomitable Lions will be in a good position.
Choupo-Moting will likely be paired with Vincent Aboubakar in the forward line for the run-on XI.
Aboubakar plies his trade with Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr. He was one of the stand-out players at the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon earlier his year. There he won the golden boot after scoring eight goals and helping Cameroon to a third-place finish.
Midfielder Anguissa brings a measure of calmness to the Cameroon midfield. After 30 appearances in the Premier League with Fulham, he joined Napoli to play in Serie A. He is a tower of strength in midfield and can be relied on to thwart opposition attacks. He is a workhorse of note and a master of directing attacks once he is left unmarked in the opposition half.