Cameroon’s name appearing on the list of competing nations at a World Cup is always likely to evoke memories of their impressive burst to the quarterfinals of Italia ’90.
After topping their group, and edging past Colombia in the last 16, Roger Mila and his teammates famously faced England in the last eight in Naples. Despite being knocked out in extra time by Sir Bobby Robson’s side, Cameroon had left their mark on the world stage, and they have only failed to reach one World Cup since that watershed.
However, they have consistently fallen at the first hurdle since 1990, with just one win from 15 group-stage matches in their last five tournament appearances.
Can they go better in Qatar? Here’s the players they will be relying on.
MORE: FIFA World Cup schedule 2022: Complete match dates, times, team fixtures
Projected Cameroon World Cup squad 2022
Head coach Rigobert Song will have until Friday, October 21 to submit an official preliminary list of 35-55 players to FIFA, from which he will select a final 26-man roster for Qatar by Monday, November 14.
Based on World Cup qualifying squads and friendly rosters over the past year, these are the names most likely to be on his preliminary list.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Simon Ngapandouetnbu | Marseille (FRA) | 19 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper | Devis Epassy | Abha (SAU) | 29 | 5 |
| Goalkeeper | Andre Onana | Inter Milan (ITA) | 26 | 31 |
| Defender | Darlin Yongwa | Lorient (FRA) | 22 | 1 |
| Defender | Nicolas Nkoulou | Aris (GRE) | 32 | 76 |
| Defender | Oumar Gonzalez | Ajaccio (FRA) | 24 | 0 |
| Defender | Nouhou Tolo | Seattle Sounders (USA) | 25 | 16 |
| Defender | Oliver Mbaizio | Philadelphia Union (USA) | 25 | 11 |
| Defender | Collins Fai | Al-Tai (SAU) | 29 | 50 |
| Defender | Jean-Charles Castelletto | Nantes (FRA) | 27 | 12 |
| Defender | Enzo Ebosse | Udinese (ITA) | 23 | 1 |
| Defender | Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui | Gent (BEL) | 31 | 53 |
| Defender | Christopher Wooh | Rennes (FRA) | 21 | 1 |
| Defender | Enzo Tchato | Montpellier (FRA) | 19 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Olivier Ntcham | Swansea City (WAL) | 26 | 1 |
| Midfielder | Georges Mandjeck | Nea Salamis (CYP) | 33 | 51 |
| Midfielder | Pierre Kunde | Olympiakos (GRE) | 27 | 30 |
| Midfielder | Martin Hongla | Verona (ITA) | 24 | 17 |
| Midfielder | Samuel Gouet | Mechelen (BEL) | 24 | 21 |
| Midfielder | Gael Ondoua | Hannover 96 (GER) | 26 | 3 |
| Midfielder | Brice Ambina | Cape Town | 20 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Jean Onana | Lens (FRA) | 22 | 10 |
| Midfielder | Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa | Napoli (ITA) | 26 | 42 |
| Forward | Moumi Ngamaleu | Dynamo Moscow (RUS) | 28 | 41 |
| Forward | Georges-Kevin Nkoudou | Besiktas (TUR) | 27 | 1 |
| Forward | Vincent Aboubakar | Al-Nassr (SAU) | 30 | 88 |
| Forward | Karl Toko Ekambi | Lyon (FRA) | 30 | 50 |
| Forward | Bryan Mbeumo | Brentford (ENG) | 23 | 1 |
| Forward | Leandre Tawamba | Al Taawoun (SAU) | 32 | 7 |
| Forward | Jean-Pierre Nsame | Young Boys (SWI) | 29 | 3 |
| Forward | Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting | Bayern Munich (GER) | 33 | 68 |
Final 26-man Cameroon World Cup roster
Cameroon begin their World Cup challenge in Qatar by facing Switzerland on November 24, but they also have two warm up friendlies scheduled, against Jamaica and Panama.
Those two games fall either side of the deadline for Song to name his final squad, on November 9 and 18, as he makes the final tweaks to his plans.
Here’s a projected look at who could conceivably make it onto the plane, assuming everyone is fit and available.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Simon Ngapandouetnbu | Marseille (FRA) | 19 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper | Devis Epassy | Abha (SAU) | 29 | 5 |
| Goalkeeper | Andre Onana | Inter Milan (ITA) | 26 | 31 |
| Defender | Darlin Yongwa | Lorient (FRA) | 21 | 1 |
| Defender | Nicolas Nkoulou | Aris (GRE) | 32 | 76 |
| Defender | Nouhou Tolo | Seattle Sounders (USA) | 25 | 16 |
| Defender | Oliver Mbazio | Philadelphia Union (USA) | 25 | 11 |
| Defender | Collins Fai | Al-Tai (SAU) | 29 | 50 |
| Defender | Jean-Charles Castelletto | Nantes (FRA) | 27 | 12 |
| Defender | Enzo Ebosse | Udinese (ITA) | 23 | 1 |
| Defender | Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui | Gent (BEL) | 31 | 53 |
| Midfielder | Olivier Ntcham | Swansea City (WAL) | 26 | 1 |
| Midfielder | Georges Mandjeck | Nea Salamis (CYP) | 33 | 51 |
| Midfielder | Pierre Kunde | Olympiakos (GRE) | 27 | 30 |
| Midfielder | Martin Hongla | Verona (ITA) | 24 | 17 |
| Midfielder | Samuel Gouet | Mechelen (BEL) | 24 | 21 |
| Midfielder | Gael Ondoua | Hannover 96 (GER) | 26 | 3 |
| Midfielder | Jean Onana | Lens (FRA) | 22 | 10 |
| Midfielder | Andre-Franck Zambo-Anguissa | Napoli (ITA) | 26 | 42 |
| Midfielder | Arnaud Djoum | Dundee United (SCO) | 33 | 28 |
| Forward | Jean-Pierre Nsame | Young Boys (SWI) | 29 | 3 |
| Forward | Georges-Kevin Nkoudou | Besiktas (TUR) | 27 | 1 |
| Forward | Vincent Aboubakar | Al-Nassr (SAU) | 30 | 88 |
| Forward | Karl Toko Ekambi | Lyon (FRA) | 30 | 50 |
| Forward | Bryan Mbeumo | Brentford (ENG) | 23 | 1 |
| Forward | Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting | Bayern Munich (GER) | 33 | 68 |
Cameroon best player, strengths & weaknesses
The restructured CAF qualification path for the 2022 World Cup saw Cameroon face off with Algeria for a direct spot at the competition with Karl Toko Ekambi’s incredible extra-time goal securing their passage.
The Lyon striker is a crucial player within Song’s plans, and he has proven himself in Ligue 1, after playing a bit part role at Villarreal.
Andre Onana’s return in goal is also crucial, with Andre-Franck Zambo-Anguissa’s impressive Champions League performances setting him up for the World Cup, alongside the emergence of Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo on the international scene.
Stars
Ekambi and Onana are the star names in Song’s squad with the former Liverpool defender reliant on the pair at both ends of the pitch.
However, if Mbeumo can transfer over his Premier League form he could be a real threat as part of the attack, with Udinese full back Enzo Ebosse an exciting addition.
Strengths
Song is boosted by strong attacking options for the trip to Qatar, with Ekambi and Mbeumo supplemented by veteran skipper Vincent Aboubakar.
However, he will need to balance the midfield unit behind them, to ensure Zambo-Anguissa is not overloaded.
Weaknesses
Cameroon were solid defensively during qualification, but there is a question mark over the depth of their backline if injuries rock their plans.
Cameroon World Cup group
Brazil are strongly fancied to storm out of Group G. However, Cameroon will not be overawed by the challenge of European duo Switzerland and Serbia, as all three battle to join Brazil in the last 16.
Cameroon Group G fixtures and match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Thurs, Nov. 24 | Switzerland vs. Cameroon | 5 a.m. | Al Janoub Stadium |
| Mon, Nov. 28 | Cameroon vs. Serbia | 5 a.m. | Al Janoub Stadium |
| Fri, Dec. 2 | Cameroon vs. Brazil | 2 p.m. | Lusail Stadium |
Can Cameroon replace players on World Cup roster?
Once the final 26-man roster is official, participating teams at the World Cup can only make changes before the first game of the tournament, and only in the case of extraordinary circumstances.
According to the official tournament rules, “a player listed on the final list may only be replaced in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the start of his team’s first match.”
The team in question would need to submit a medical report to FIFA and if the world governing body determines “the injury or illness is sufficiently serious to prevent the player from taking part in the FIFA World Cup” then the replacement will be allowed.
The replacement player must come from the preliminary list of players submitted to FIFA in October.
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