On Friday, Cameroon against all odds have become the first team to defeat Brazil in the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup since Norway in 1998, thesportsbay.com reports.
Cameroon became the first African side to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 1990, but have failed to progress from the group stages in six appearances at the finals since then.
Vincent Aboubakar’s goal at the Lusail Stadium gave Cameroon their first win at the World Cup since beating Saudi Arabia in 2002 – and also made them the first African nation to beat Brazil in the tournament’s history.
Cameroon 1-0 Brazil
• Cameroon end a run of nine World Cup matches without a win, their last victory being against Saudi Arabia in 2002.
• Cameroon have become the first team to defeat Brazil in the group stage since Norway in 1998.
• Brazil have finished at the top of their group in the opening round for the 11th successive World Cup – the last time they failed in this respect was back in 1978.
• Dani Alves has become the oldest player to play in the FIFA World Cup for Brazil at the age of 39 years and 210 days,surpassing Thiago Silva (38 years and 67 days v. Switzerland on 28 November 2022).
• Brazil won the group despite being the lowest scorers in Group G with three goals.
Ghana 0-2 Uruguay
• Fatawu Issahaku has become the youngest player to feature in the FIFA World Cup™ for Ghana at the age of 18 years and 269 days.
• This is the first time since 2002 that Uruguay have failed to progress from their group at the FIFA World Cup (2006: did not qualify, 2010: fourth place, 2014: round of 16, 2018: quarter-finals).
• Uruguay have won eight of their last 11 group-stage matches (D1 L2).
• Uruguay have kept six clean sheets in their last seven World Cup group-stage matches.
• Giorgian de Arrascaeta has become just the third Uruguayan player to score a brace in the first half of a FIFA World Cup match after Peregrino Anselmo (v. Yugoslavia in 1930) and Óscar Míguez (v. Bolivia in 1950).
• Edinson Cavani has become the all-time leading appearance-maker for Uruguay in FIFA World Cup history with 17 appearances. Fernando Muslera, Diego Godín and Luis Suárez all have 16 to their names.
Korea Republic 2-1 Portugal
• Korea Republic have become the third team from the AFC to reach the round of 16 in Qatar – a competition record for the Asian confederation, having only previously had two in 2002 and 2010.
• Korea Republic are through to the round of 16 for the third time (2002, 2010 and 2022).
• Korea Republic also defeated Portugal in the group stage in 2002 (1-0) in the only previous meeting between the two teams.
• Six of Korea Republic’s seven wins in the FIFA World Cup™ have been against European sides. They defeated Poland in 2002, Portugal in 2002 and 2022, Italy in 2002, Greece in 2010 and Germany in 2018.
• Korea Republic have scored two goals in successive matches in a single World Cup for the first time.
• Portugal have won their group for the third time. On the two previous occasions in 1966 and 2006, they went on to reach the semi-finals.
• António Silva has become the youngest player to represent Portugal in the FIFA World Cup at the age of 19 years and 33 days. Paulo Futre was the previous youngest after featuring against England in 1986 at the age of 20 years and 95 days.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
• Five goals is the most Serbia have scored in a FIFA World Cup™ group stage since 1990 (six as Yugoslavia).
• Aleksandar Mitrović has become the joint-second highest goalscorer for Serbia (including Yugoslavia) in FIFA World Cup history with three goals – Dražen Jerković leads the way with four (in 1962).
• Switzerland have qualified from their group in each of the last two World Cup final competitions and have now only missed out on the knockout phase in one of their last six participations.
• Xherdan Shaqiri has become the first Swiss player to score in three different FIFA World Cup final competitions – 2014, 2018 and 2022.
• Xherdan Shaqiri has scored five goals in FIFA World Cup history – only Sepp Hügi (six in 1954) has netted more times for Switzerland.
• Ricardo Rodriguez, Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka have become all-time leading appearance-makers in the FIFA World Cup for Switzerland with 11 appearances.
• Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first Portuguese player to make 20 appearances in the FIFA World Cup – no other player has made more than 11 (Simão Sabrosa).
