World Cup updates: Cameroon knocked out despite beating Brazil

Tune in on Saturday for the start of the knockout stages! Here’s what the Round of 16 fixtures are:

Netherlands vs USA

Argentina vs Australia 

France vs Poland 

England vs Senegal

Japan vs Croatia

Brazil vs South Korea

Morocco vs Spain 

Portugal vs Switzerland

“There will still be a party back in Cameroon,” Caleb Williams told Al Jazeera after Cameroon beat Brazil 1-0.

The 42-year-old said his national team might have not won [to the Round of 16] but it “took out brazil”.

“That’s huge,” he said.

Cameroon’s World Cup hopes were hanging by a thread as they were drawing 0-0 with Brazil at half-time of their World Cup Group G match at the Lusail Stadium – a game the Indomitable Lions must win to have any chance of progressing.

Already certain of their place in the last 16 where they are likely to meet Group H runners-up South Korea, Brazil made nine changes to the side that started the 1-0 win over Switzerland.

Gabriel Martinelli, Fred and Antony all came close to breaking the deadlock in a first half in which Brazil’s reserves coasted as Cameroon struggled to mount any meaningful attacks.

Rigobert Song’s side must beat Brazil and hope that Serbia sneak at least a point off Switzerland if they are to have any hope of making the knockout phase.

Al Jazeera’s Katia Lopez-Hodoyan, reporting from Souq Waqif in Doha, says she is noticing “a change in the conversation” among spectators.

“Before it was an ongoing party,” she said. “Fans were just cheering and celebrating, … and now the conversation is more strategic.

“We hear fans talking about what the next strategy would be, what the coaches need to do in order to get their teams to the next round.”

A huge Pele banner was unveiled by Brazilian fans at Lusail Stadium, wishing one of the greatest football players in the world to “Get Well Soon”.

The 82-year-old was diagnosed with bronchopneumonia after being hospitalised earlier this week.

The two final group G matches have begun.

Cameroon is playing against Brazil, hoping to make it to the next round at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium. Follow live updates here.

Meanwhile, Serbia is facing-off against Switzerland at Stadium 974. Follow live updates here.

Brazilian football legend Pele, who was hospitalised this week amid continuing cancer treatments, has developed a respiratory infection, but is in stable condition and “showing general improvement,” his doctors have said.

The 82-year-old icon, who has been in fragile health in recent years, was hospitalised on Tuesday in Sao Paulo for what doctors said was a “reevaluation” of the chemotherapy he has been undergoing since surgery to remove a colon tumour in September 2021.

“The medical team diagnosed him with a respiratory infection, which is being treated with antibiotics,” the hospital said in a statement.

“The patient’s response has been adequate, and he remains in a standard room,” not intensive care, it said. “He is stable and his health is showing general improvement. [He] will remain in the hospital in the coming days to continue treatment.”

The Group G match between Cameroon and Brazil is about to start. Who will win?

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The Group G match between Serbia and Switzerland is about to start. Who will win?

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Bernard le Fange – who lives in Dallas, Texas, but was raised in Lembe, Cameroon – believes his native country will shut out the world’s top-ranked team, Brazil, 1-0.

“Cameroon brings it when it matters,” said le Fange, 48, who is in Qatar with his wife, Joyce, and their two children. “… Today, it very much matters. … We are the Indomitable Lions.”

“Brazil may take it easy since they have qualified, … but it doesn’t matter. We will take it,” he said.

In case Cameroon doesn’t qualify, the le Fange family emphatically said it is “fully behind” the United States.

Injured star Neymar will be at Lusail Stadium to watch Brazil’s match against Cameroon.

It will be the first time Neymar joins his teammates at a match since injuring his right ankle in Brazil’s opener against Serbia last week.

Neymar was the only player who remained at the team’s hotel during the match against Switzerland on Monday. He stayed behind to undergo treatment for damaged ligaments on his foot.

Brazil, which has already qualified for the round of 16, needs a draw against Cameroon to finish first in Group G and set up a last-16 matchup against South Korea.

Doctors have yet to say when Neymar is expected to return. The team said the Paris Saint-Germain player will be re-evaluated on Saturday.

Uruguay beat Ghana 2-0 in the Group H match, but both are knocked out from advancing further.

Meanwhile, South Korea beat Portugal 2-1, pushing South Korea through to the next round to qualify for the World Cup last 16 at Uruguay’s expense.

Hwang Heechan’s goal in stoppage time was enough to put the Koreans through to the knockout phase on goals scored.

A pilot with Qatar Airways, Flavio Soares says he is a bit “worried” about today’s game as it’s a do-or-die situation for Cameroon, who must win to qualify to the round of 16.

“The Cameroonians will be throwing everything at Brazil … they are a good team,” the 53-year-old, here with his wife Sandra and their two nieces who flew in from Brazil, told Al Jazeera.

Sandra, 51, says she is not worried about the result.

“We have won every game … so I’m confident … but especially because it’s our first game of the tournament,” she added.

The couple said the win is also important so Brazil avoids facing Portugal in the next round.

“Also, I am half Portuguese … so I have a bit of divided loyalty,” Sandra said.

It looks like the game between Brazil and Cameroon is being played at the Estadio de Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

It’s a sea of Brazilian flags, shirts and scarves here at Lusail Stadium in Qatar with almost a carnival-like atmosphere. People are donning funky and exuberant costumes to help boost their beloved football team.

It helps that Brazil have millions of fans outside the sixth most populous nation in the world with dedicated fan groups in many countries.

This does not mean, however, that the Cameroonian fans are not making their presence felt at the stadium, which has a capacity of nearly 90,000 people.

They too are dressed in colourful clothing and have brought trumpets, vuvuzelas, drums and at least one accordion to provide relentless support for the Indomitable Lions, who need to do a lot of work in their final group match to qualify for the next stage.

Japan erupted in cheers and tears after the national team’s 2-1 win over Spain. Crowds packed public viewing areas in the pre-dawn cold, shrieking with joy as they stunned another global football powerhouse at the World Cup.

They will now play 2018 runners-up Croatia for a place in the quarter-finals.

Read more here.

Uruguay broke their scoring duck at the World Cup to take a 2-0 halftime lead against Ghana in their Group H decider with a double from Giorgian de Arrascaeta, putting them on the verge of qualifying for the last 16.

The South Americans’ breakthrough came after Ghana’s Andre Ayew had missed a penalty, hitting his shot softly at goalkeeper Sergio Rochet who was penalised for bringing down Kudus Mohammed.

De Arrascaeta, on his first start at the tournament, headed home from close range in the 26th minute after Darwin Nunez’s cross was missed by two defenders and found Luis Suarez, whose low shot was spilled by the keeper.

Uruguay, who famously knocked out Ghana in the 2010 World Cup quarter-final, struck again six minutes later, when Nunez flicked the ball to Suarez, who knocked it on to de Arrascaeta to volley under Lawrence Ati-Zigi at the Al Janoub Stadium.

South Korea and Portugal were level at 1-1 by halftime in their World Cup Group H clash, with Kim Younggwon giving the Taeguk Warriors a lifeline in game they must win to stand a chance of reaching the knockout round.

Portugal, already qualified for the last 16 and needing only a draw to be sure of top spot in the group, had grabbed the lead with a fifth-minute goal from Ricardo Horta, who met a Diogo Dalot cross and hammered it home from close range.

Korea equalised off a corner with Kim pouncing on a bouncing ball in the goalmouth and hooking it into the net.

The Koreans, with one point so far, must beat Portugal and hope the result of Ghana’s match with Uruguay goes their way in order to reach the next round.

Australia coach Graham Arnold said his side were not intimidated by the might of football powerhouse Argentina before their World Cup clash, insisting the South Americans “bring out the best in us”.

Pointing to last year’s 2-0 Olympic triumph over Argentina as well as a 4-1 win in the Bicentennial Gold Cup in 1988, Arnold said underdogs Australia were “inspired” to face the two-time world champions.

“When I think back to my playing career it is one of the highlights of my life, being able to play against Argentina,” Arnold said.

“I just think that Argentina bring the best out of Australia. Our performances every time against Argentina have been very strong and very good.

“Playing against that type of talent, and that name I think resonates right across the world – It’s a football nation and it is inspiring to play against them.”

It’s the last day of the group stage at the World Cup, with South Korea and Portugal from Group H competing for a spot in the knockout stage. Who do you think will qualify?