Having already been eliminated from the tournament, Cameroon have little to hope for ahead of the clash with hosts Brazil, although the Indomitable Lions will attempt to avoid another embarrassing defeat. The Seleccao need a comfortable win in order to secure the first place in the standings and that should not be such a difficult task.

Shocking displays from Cameroon

Boasting a number of high-quality players plying their trade in Europe’s top leagues, Cameroon had high hopes ahead of the 2014 World Cup, but the lack of togetherness and team spirit quickly shattered their qualifying dream. The footballers spent more time worrying about tournament bonuses than focusing on the task ahead and that was there for everyone to see in the opening clash with Mexico, when the referees saved the Indomitable Lions from suffering a heavy defeat. However, there was no-one to save them from conceding 4-0 goals against Croatia, with the game further marred by the incident involving Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Benjamin Moukandjo. And with the atmosphere in the squad at an all time low, Cameroon cannot be expected to show any improvement in the Brazil clash, especially since a number of key players, including Samuel Eto’o and Alex Song will be missing. All things considered, this will be one of the most disappointing tournaments for Cameroon in recent history.

Alex Song misses out through suspension, while Samuel Eto’o is unlikely to feature as he struggles with injury. Boss Volker Finke is likely to introduce some new players.

Yet to hit the ground running

Hosting a major tournament is a two-edged sword, as the pressure of expectations often neutralizes the home field advantage and places a huge burden on the players’ backs. This seems to have happened with Brazil at the 2014 World Cup, although the Seleccao are slowly improving their performances and could hit top form at just the right time. While they were clearly not at their best against Croatia and Mexico, the reality is Brazil created a number of good chances to score, and they still remain in a good position to win the first place in the group. After somewhat struggling against well organised Croatia and Mexico, the Seleccao should have a much easier task when facing out-of-sorts Cameroon, who are almost entirely relying on individual quality of their players. Brazil definitely need a morale-boosting win if they are to get the fans back on the side and this will be a perfect opportunity to kick-start their World Cup campaign.

Hulk looks set to return to the side after recovering from injury, whereas Paulinho could be dropped after two disappointing performances.

Verdict

Having been utterly disappointing in the first two games, Cameroon are unlikely to fare any better against mighty Brazil, especially with some key men missing. Meanwhile, the Seleccao will be eager to record a convincing victory and I fully expect them to succeed in their quest.

Top pick: Brazil to win to nil   1.70 (7/10) @ BetVictor

Alternative pick 1: Brazil to score three or more   1.67 (4/6) @ Coral

Alternative pick 2: Neymar to score   1.50 (1/2) @ bet365