Switzerland, Cameroon play to scoreless tie in the first half
Published
Group G competition opened with 15th-ranked Switzerland playing 43rd-ranked Cameroon to a 0-0 tie through the first 45 minutes, with the underdogs from Africa often controlling the pace.
The Swiss side mounted a final attack in the 45th minute - a well-placed cross-field pass resulted in a corner kick attempt, which was another beautifully-placed ball that Switzerland was unable to direct on goal.
Cameroonian-born Breel Embolo, who had to promise no conflict of interest when suiting up for Switzerland, stole the ball in the danger zone in the 40th minute to open Switzerland's best attacking chance - but Jean-Charles Castelletto of Cameroon made a strong challenge in the crease to hold the score at 0-0.
Collins Fai of Cameroon picked up the first yellow card of the match in the 35th minute, with an overly-aggressive challenge in the middle of the pitch.
In the 29th minute another showcase of fine passing from Cameroon resulted in an open shot from inside the crease for Bryan Mbuemo, but keeper Yann Sommer got a piece of the ball and the Swiss defence was able to clear it out.
Karl Toko Ekambi opened up a Cameroonian attack in the 23rd minute with a gorgeous pass to the right side of the field, and nifty passing in the Swiss crease culminated in a corner for the Indomitable Lions - though again the were unable to get a good ball on net.
The Swiss attack was the more consistent of the two through the first 20 minutes, as they controlled possession in the early going; however, Cameroon found a lot more dangerous opportunity in the counter-attack.
Cameroon found a golden opportunity at the 10 minute mark, when a Martin Hongla full-field pass sprung Ekambi on the attack in the crease - but Sommer was able to control the strong shot.
Switzerland opened the match on the offensive, with a consistent attack in the first five minutes being run through Xherdan Shaqiri on the right side. They earned an early corner to highlight their opportunities on goal, but couldn't solve keeper Andre Onana of Cameroon.