Brazil suffered a huge World Cup upset as Vincent Aboubakar scored a late winner to earn Cameroon a famous victory in Lusail - even if it was not enough to bag them a spot in the last-16.
Tite made nine changes to his starting line-up with qualification to the knockouts secured and a tie with South Korea as group winners highly likely as South American rivals Uruguay were dumped out shortly before kick-off.
The status of being this World Cup’s only team to win all three group games was on offer to Brazil and they fired an early warning shot, Fred just failing to connect with a cross from Gabriel Jesus.
Fellow Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli was also rotated into the XI and threatened regularly, heading Fred’s fine ball over the top goalwards and forcing Devis Epassy into a good stop.
Brazil were far from swashbuckling and settled into a familiar theme of first-half comfort without overzealously threatening the opposition’s goal via mountains of clear-cut chances and pressure on their 18-yard box.
Perhaps that was down to Cameroon’s contentness with cynical fouls, picking up three bookings in the first half alone. Martinelli was often a target as he went on rangy runs, cutting in from the left, and one such dribble drew an unconvincing parry over the bar from Epassy.
It was the African side which had the best chance of the half, however. Bryan Mbeumo popped up at the far post in stoppage time to head an effort downwards that Ederson reacted to fantastically with a one-handed parry clear.
Their intent continued into the second half as Aboubakar, starting after his heroic intervention off the bench against Serbia, spun and fired a shot across goal that beat Ederson as well as the far post.
Tite responded with a triple substitution after just 55 minutes. Once again, Martinelli made his presence known with a strike that Epassy saved well. Moments later, the Cameroon goalkeeper was shaky as he spilled Eder Militao’s stab at goal and had to claw the ball away as strikers lurked.
Vincent Aboubakar! 🙌🇨🇲
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) December 2, 2022
✅ Get the winner against Brazil in injury time
✅ Get a red card for taking your shirt off to celebrate#ITVFootball | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/YAkGaNtKqK
Brazil had produced moments of individual class to win both their earlier games at this World Cup in the second half but such a moment was not forthcoming in Lusail.
Bruno Guimaraes fired a close-range strike into Christopher Wooh’s fine block as the Newcastle man and Raphinha made impacts off the bench.
But it was Aboubakar who had the last laugh, deftly heading home a perfect Jerome Ngom Mbekeli cross from the right to stun Brazil. One of those booked earlier, he quickly received his marching orders for taking his shirt off in celebration.
Martinelli and Guimaraes flailed at late chances for Brazil, who nonetheless progressed as Group G winners off the back of an embarrassing defeat. Switzerland’s comeback win over Serbia meant Cameroon head home from Qatar with their heads held high.
