The African Lions will be traveling to Brazil, knowing that they face seemingly insurmountable odds in Group A. Cameroon starts with the worse chance to win the group at 26 to 1 and those who trust them to simply survive this stage will increase their investment six times. A couple of years ago, they would have been favorites against both Croatia and Mexico, but much has changed and very little for the better.
In a nutshell, Cameroon is struggling due to the fact that some of its best players are aging, including Samuel Eto'o and the midfielders. The defense was never their strong suit and it is still the weakest section in their formation, with changes coming too late and proving to be too little to make a difference. Volke Finke has a difficult task but he is one of the most experienced managers and if there is someone who can turn Cameroon around, he is the one.
Group stage and event prospects
Cameroon needs to take it one step at a time and the first challenge is to win a game against either Croatia or Mexico. It is hard to believe that they can advance to the next stage by drawing all three games, as Brazil will come out firing against the underdogs. On the bright side, the hosts face Croatia in the opening game, while they play against Mexico and it is very possible for Cameroon to start on the right foot.
Bookmakers don't give them much of a chance they win and the odds of 501 to 1 at Bet365 leave very little room for comments. It might be still worth the risk of trusting the Africans to survive the group stage as long as the odds stand at 6 to 1 because both Croatia and Mexico have big problems defensively. Brazil looks unbeatable but the two teams would only meet in the final game of the group stage, when the hosts are very likely to be already qualified for the next phase.
Key players for Cameroon at the World Cup
Everything begins and starts with Samuel Eto'o because Cameroon is only as good as its captain and will depend on him to score goals. He's extremely experienced and the fact that he is no longer young will never be an argument strong enough to keep him on the bench. Teammates will always choose to send the ball to him when possible, so Samuel could very well score a few goals against both Croatia and Mexico.
There is a bright side in being the underdog, because the Lions will be playing pressure-free and will take more chances defensively. Alex Song is another player that could tip the balance in their favor and unlike Samuel, he is faster and has more stamina. Together, they pack quite a punch and even the two of them can stay healthy throughout the group stage, Cameroon could reach the elimination round. In the worst-case scenario, Webo and Moukandjou will still be a worthy alternative and they are dying for a chance to prove their worth.
The bottom line
Samuel Eto'o is very likely to score most of the goals for Cameroon, so odds of 151 to 1 for him to be the top scorer in Brazil are worth considering. Naturally, his national team should at least survive the group stage for this odds to have any chance whatsoever to come to fruition, so it is still better to simply take the odds of 6 to 1 offered by Bet365 for this outcome.
