Chaos. Two teams historically wedded to chaos. A Serbia team in chaos because of injury. A Cameroon team plunged into chaos by the expulsion of the Internazionale goalkeeper André Onana. The result, inevitably, was a match of high chaos. But what chaos! It was chaos that yielded drama, remarkable goals, an implausible fightback, a truly exceptional finish that will be remembered long after the match is forgotten and, in the end, a thrilling draw that didn’t really suit either side.
Nothing that happened on Monday at Al Janoub was without complication; not the traffic, not the security and certainly not the buildup. In an echo of the golden age of the Indomitable Lions, Onana was kicked out of the Cameroon squad on the morning of the game, seemingly because he objected to the coach Rigobert Song’s instruction that he should stop passing out from the back. In Cameroon’s opener, a 1-0 defeat by Switzerland, Onana had recorded more touches outside the box than any other keeper in World Cup history.
