Important opening match for Switzerland and Cameroon

Switzerland go into every tournament with the self-image of wanting to reach the knockout rounds and being able to do so. In the last few tournaments, the Swiss have also been happy to act as a scare tactic for the favourites and have spoiled many a betting tip in the process. For example, they knocked France out of the competition at last year’s European Championship.

In the run-up to the match between Switzerland and Cameroon, the bookmakers are predicting that the Swiss will go into the game as favourites. The bookmakers also recognise that Switzerland have an all-round well-structured squad that is capable of posing problems for Cameroon, both individually and in terms of team tactics. Caution is still advised, however, as the Africans can be more than just unpleasant.

However, the bookmakers don’t want to go too far out on a Switzerland vs. Cameroon bet, because the quality of the Africans, who have Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in their squad, is too high. On a good day, this team can pose problems for any opponent.

Switzerland – Statistics & current form

Switzerland is participating in a World Cup tournament for the twelfth time. Currently 15th in the FIFA world rankings, they have no need to hide from the elite in Europe and South America. With an average age of 27, the squad is the perfect age and well put together. Top and breadth fit, talent meets experience. And so coach Murat Yakin and his team are candidates for the last 16. At least.

But Switzerland’s group is a tough one, which is why the opening match against Cameroon is so important. Group G also includes Brazil and Serbia. A slip-up could increase the pressure considerably. That is what we want to prevent. However, the last test against Ghana was lost (0:2), and in general the Swiss have not had an outstanding international year in 2022.

There were only three victories in nine games. The truth is, however, that three of the last four games were won. In the Nations League, there was a 1:0 win against Portugal and a 2:1 win against Spain and the Czech Republic in the second round. So it’s not easy to assess Switzerland at the moment ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

Switzerland: A surprise package or a scare for the favourites?

So question marks remain around Switzerland before the start of the tournament. What is the true face of this team? Is it the four defeats in seven games or three wins in the last four? On a purely individual level, an axis of Kobel in goal, Akanji and Elvedi in defence, Xhaka and Zakaria in midfield and Okafor and Embolo in attack can already inspire.

The Swiss play largely with a back four and a classic striker, but Okafor in particular is very versatile in the offensive area. The experienced Shaqiri, who has been involved in almost half of the Swiss goals in the last four tournaments, can also become important. He is likely to be used at least as a substitute. After all, the Swiss have gone unbeaten in their opening World Cup matches five times in a row.

If Switzerland can switch into tournament mode and maintain the form they have shown in recent Nations League matches, this team will be hard to beat. In terms of quality, the Swiss also have advantages. Therefore, before the Switzerland vs Cameroon match, our prediction is that the Swiss will win this match.

Predicted line-up of Switzerland:
Kobel – Widmer, Elvedi, Schär, Akanji – Zakaria, Xhaka, Sow – Vargas, Okafor, Embolo

Last matches played by Switzerland:

Friendly matches
17/11/2022 – Switzerland 0 – 2 Ghana

UEFA Nations League A Grp. 2
28/09/2022 – Switzerland 2 – 1 Czech Republic

25/09/2022 – Spain 1 – 2 Switzerland

13/06/2022 – Switzerland 1 – 0 Portugal

10/06/2022 – Switzerland 0 – 1 Spain

Cameroon – Statistics & current form

Cameroon also have ambitions, but the group draw caused headaches for the team from Africa. Coach Rigobert Song will nevertheless have tried to do the best possible preparation for the tournament. The Cameroonians want to show convincing footballing skills and have the opportunity to do so. There are qualities, after all, especially in the game going forward. Choupo-Moting from FC Bayern, Toko Ekambi from Lyon or Mbeumo from Brentford: the attacking line-up is impressive.

Recently, however, Cameroon’s World Cup games have not exactly been enjoyable. The Africans lost seven games in a row at World Cup finals. This series could well continue in view of the strong group. Moreover, the last test against Panama, a 1-1 draw, was not exactly outstanding. Joker Choupo-Moting stole the show and scored the only goal.

None of the last four games was won, the tests this year were rather not passed. 0:1 against South Korea, even 0:2 against Uzbekistan: Cameroon definitely raised questions. At least they managed to advance in the World Cup qualifiers against Algeria. At the Africa Cup at the beginning of the year, the team remained undefeated after 90 minutes and finished third.

Lately, the shoe was on the offensive

Paradoxically, the offensive has been more of a problem in recent games, despite being well-staffed. After the Africa Cup, Cameroon played seven times, never scoring more than one goal after 90 minutes, going completely scoreless three times.

This means that no spectacle can be expected without a sharp improvement. That’s why our value tip before the match between Switzerland and Cameroon is that not both teams will score.

No team from Africa has been part of a World Cup final more often than the Cameroonians. But that doesn’t buy the team much either. Most recently, the team played predominantly in a 4-1-4-1 system, which was relatively defensive. Running into an open knife is to be avoided, yet there must be a weighing up of how much risk can be allowed in order to stimulate their own offensive.

Predicted line-up of Cameroon:
Onana – Fai, N’Koulou, Castelletto, Ebosse – Anguissa – Mbeumo, Ntcham, Kunde, Toko Ekambi – Aboubakar

Last matches played by Cameroon:

Friendly matches
18/11/2022 – Cameroon 1 – 1 Panama

09/11/2022 – Cameroon 1 – 1 Jamaica

27/09/2022 – South Korea 1 – 0 Cameroon

23/09/2022 – Uzbekistan 2 – 0 Cameroon

African Nations Championship Qualification
05/09/2022 – Cameroon 2 – 0 Equatorial Guinea

Switzerland – Cameroon Direct comparison / H2H-Balance

These two teams have not yet faced each other in a direct comparison. This World Cup will therefore be the first meeting in history

Switzerland – Cameroon Tip

Both Switzerland and Cameroon have a lot of quality in their squads, but both nations look back on an international year that was not completely easy. Recently, the Swiss have had the more positive form curve on their side, and the Swiss have not lost any of their last five opening matches.

The slightly greater experience and the slightly more positive tendency of the last matches ensure that our tip before the match Switzerland vs Cameroon is that the Europeans will win the match.