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Cameroon national football team
World Cup | Group Stage
Jun 18, 2014 at 11pm UK
 
Croatia national football team

0-4


Song (40')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Olic (11'), Perisic (48'), Mandzukic (61', 73')

Live Commentary: Cameroon 0-4 Croatia - as it happened

Relive Croatia's 4-0 win over 10-man Cameroon as the African side are dumped out of the World Cup having been swept aside in Manaus.
2

Cameroon were unceremoniously dumped out of the World Cup courtesy of a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Croatia in Manaus this evening.

The European side took the lead in the 11th minute courtesy of an Ivica Olic strike, while Cameroon's task was made even harder when Alex Song got himself sent off five minutes before the break.

Croatia took full advantage of their extra man, with Ivan Perisic doubling their lead before a Mario Mandzukic brace capped off the scoring.

You can read how an action-packed match unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's minute-by-minute coverage below.


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Good evening! Thank you for joining Sports Mole for the final match of another incredible day of World Cup action as Cameroon take on Croatia in Manaus. The losers will be eliminated from Group A following the 0-0 draw between Mexico and Brazil last night, but whatever happens they will have lasted longer in the tournament than holders Spain, who have been sensationally dumped out following a 2-0 defeat to Chile tonight. The teams are already out, so let's have a look at who will be on show tonight...

CAMEROON STARTING XI: Itandje; Assou-Ekotto, Nkoulou, Song, Moukandjo, Aboubakar, Choupo Moting, Chedjou, Mbia, Enoh, Matip

CROATIA STARTING XI: Pletikosa; Pranjic, Perisic, Corluka, Lovren, Rakitic, Modric, Srna, Mandzukic, Olic, Sammir

So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, the eagle-eyed amongst you would have noticed a glaring omission from the Cameroon side as Samuel Eto'o misses out for the Indomitable Lions. The veteran striker has been struggling with a knee injury since the end of the Premier League season, and despite playing in the first match the problem flared up again this week and he could well be out for the rest of the tournament. Needless to say, it is an almighty blow for Cameroon, as Eto'o is their captain and all-time leading goalscorer. He has also been directly involved in their last four World Cup goals, scoring three and assisting one.

Nkoulou is the man entrusted with the armband in Eto'o's absence, and he leads a defence that will look to be more solid than the one that came up against Mexico in their opener. While the Africans were stubborn and tough to break down at times in that match, Mexico still managed to carve out numerous chances and should have won by more than the one-goal margin they managed.

Aboubakar is the man who comes in in place of Eto'o following a decent season in Ligue 1 with Lorient. The pressure of replacing Cameroon's talisman will surely be tough for him to deal with, but he is also handed the chance of a lifetime in starting a World Cup match. He should be ably assisted by Choupo-Moting, who will be keen to showcase his vast potential on the world stage having had a quiet game against Mexico.

While Cameroon have been unfortunate in losing their star player, Croatia have seen theirs recover from a knock in time to start this match. Luka Modric picked up a minor foot injury during the defeat to Brazil last Thursday and was a doubt for tonight's encounter for much of the week. However, he has been deemed fit enough to start, forming a high-quality midfield alongside Rakitic, who should be full of confidence having finalised his move to Barcelona this week.

Perhaps on a par with Modric in terms of importance to Croatia is Mario Mandzukic, and his return will give Niko Kovac's side another huge boost. Nikica Jelavic does an admirable job for the national side, but Mandzukic is just a step up in quality and, having missed the opener through suspension, he returns to lead the line tonight. The Bayern Munich man scored more headed goals than any other player in the top five European leagues last season, so Cameroon will need to be particularly aware of his aerial threat.

Another man returning to the starting lineup for tonight's match is Pranjic who, like Mandzukic, was forced to watch on from the sidelines as his side were beaten by Brazil. His absence was due to injury, but the defender has now fully recovered and is regarded as an important part of a side that many have tipped to be dark horses to go far in the tournament. Fellow Group A dwellers Mexico have also looked impressive thus far, so second place in the group could well come down to the match between Croatia and the Mexicans next week.

Elsewhere, Croatia have plenty of experience in their ranks this evening, with Pletikosa and Srna particularly well versed on the international stage. Fans of English football will also be familiar with the likes of Corluka and Lovren, the latter of whom may have a personal point to prove having been harshly punished for a 'foul' on Fred in the penalty area during the opening match of the tournament.

The full-backs of Croatia could be important today, as it was Mexico's wide defenders that caused Cameroon so many problems in their opening match. The Africans were hugely disappointing as they fell to defeat last Friday, largely due to the fact that they were forced to employ what was effectively a back six for much of the game to nullify the impact of the wing-backs. That left Eto'o increasingly isolated up front and, as a result, Cameroon offered very little in an attacking sense.

Failure to improve tonight could well result in them becoming the second team - after Spain - to be eliminated from this year's tournament. With Brazil lying in wait in the final group game, you feel that Cameroon need all three points tonight to stand any chance of progressing into the last 16, although then they would still need at least a draw against the hosts. Volker Finke's side are certainly up against it, but an improved display tonight could raise hope of an unlikely run to the knockout rounds.

Defeat, however, would make for a rather miserable tournament after such a rocky road to get to Brazil. Their build-up was marred by a dispute over bonuses, resulting in the players refusing to board their scheduled plane until they were paid by the Cameroonian FA. As it happened, the FA took a loan out to comply with the players' demands, and the team arrived a day later than planned. Hardly ideal preparation for the biggest tournament in football!

Matters on the field were a little more straightforward in terms of their route to Brazil. They finished top of Group I in African qualification, four points clear of Libya. That set up a playoff clash with Tunisia and, after a goalless first leg, a returning Samuel Eto'o and co cruised to a 4-1 victory to ease them to Brazil on aggregate.

The warm-up matches were very much a mixed bag, with two victories, one draw and one defeat from their four outings. The two wins were rather edgy ones against minnows Macedonia and Moldova, while they fell to a disappointing loss at the hands of Paraguay. Their most impressive result was the 2-2 draw, which they earned against an almost full-strength Germany side in Berlin. A repeat of that display tonight could be enough to keep their World Cup dreams alive.

They haven't exactly flourished on the world stage in recent times, however. Cameroon were arguably the nation that put African football on the map following their run to the quarter-finals of Italia 90, with Roger Milla and co beating holders Argentina and almost eliminating England on their way to becoming the first African side to reach the last eight. However, since reaching those heady heights, they have won just one of their next 14 World Cup outings - a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in 2002. Of those 14 games, they have also lost nine and drawn four.

Their record at the World Cup is even more concerning considering they have lost their last five outings at the tournament - the worst ever run by an African nation. They have also gone 12 consecutive World Cup games without scoring more than one goal, the second-longest streak in the tournament's history following Uruguay's run of 18 between 1970 and 2002. The last time Cameroon netted more than once in a World Cup game was in a 2-2 draw with Sweden in 1994.

They came into this tournament as the third-lowest ranked side according to the FIFA rankings, although Australia's performances in Brazil so far have made a mockery of that list. The Aussies and South Korea are the only two teams ranked below Cameroon in the tournament, with the Indomitable Lions coming in as the 56th-best team in the world.

Croatia find themselves much higher up the rankings, and their performance during the opening-day defeat to Brazil will have raised belief that they can make serious inroads into the latter stages of the tournament. They may have lost the game 3-1, but the hosts relied on some suspect decision by the referee and were fortunate to come away with all three points. On another day, Croatia could well have spoiled the party and come away with what would have been a deserved draw.

Many people tipped the Croats to be potential dark horses in the tournament, and they certainly didn't raise too many eyebrows on their route to Brazil. They were comfortably second best in their qualifying group, finishing nine points behind winners Belgium. That sent them into a playoffs, where they were given a kind draw against Iceland. A goalless draw in the first leg was followed up by a 2-0 success in the second to send Croatia to the finals fairly comfortably in the end.

They also didn't exactly blow anyone away with their warm-up performances, beating Mali 2-1 and Australia 1-0. The match against Mali was only the third time in their history that they have played African opposition, but they remain unbeaten against teams from the continent. They have never faced an African team in the World Cup, however, so this is a first for them tonight.

The defeat to Brazil on the opening day was their first in six matches under Niko Kovac, and he will be keen to get back to winning ways quickly tonight. He will fancy his chances of doing so too having seen how poor Cameroon were in their opening match. Victory for Croatia tonight would set up effectively a winner-takes-all clash with Mexico on Monday in a race for second in the group - assuming Brazil will be able to overcome Cameroon.

They haven't had the smoothest build-up to this match, however, with their preparations being interrupted in a rather unorthodox way. Members of the media from their own country snapped and published pictures of the team bathing naked in a swimming pool, leading to the squad boycotting press activities. It is not a problem Kovac would have anticipated cropping up, but he would hope that it won;t have too much of an impact on their on-field duties.

Croatia have a decent defensive record at the World Cup overall, even accounting for the three they conceding against Brazil on Thursday. They have only let in 14 in their 14 World Cup fixtures since entering the tournament in 1998 - the year they also recorded their best showing by finishing third in France. They have, however, picked up six red cards in their last nine matches at the tournament.

They have also not won any of their last five World Cup matches, losing three and drawing two since a 201 victory over Italy in 2002. Another failure to win this evening would leave them with the unenviable record of the longest World Cup winless streak from a European nation.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff in Manaus, so it is about time I made my match prediction! I can't really see past Croatia winning this one, based on the performances of both teams in the opening fixtures. Add that to the fact that Cameroon will be without talisman Eto'o and it is hard to see how they will cause Croatia many problems. I'm going for a 2-0 victory for Niko Kovac's side.

This is, incidentally, the first time that these two sides have ever faced each other, so it is a step into the unknown for both teams. Croatia do not have great experience playing against African sides, but I wouldn't expect that to have too great a bearing on events tonight.

One thing that certainly could have an impact on the result tonight is the conditions in Manaus. It is once again going to be hot and humid in the Arena Amazonia, where England opened their campaign against Italy on Saturday night. Italy boss Cesare Prandelli was critical of FIFA's decision not to allow a cooling off period in that game, which gives you some indication of how hot it must be out there for the players.

If you had told either of these two teams before the tournament that they would last longer in Brazil than defending champions Spain managed, I'm sure they would have bitten your hand off. However, it would still go down as a disappointing campaign for both if they were to become the second side eliminated from the World Cup this evening. Defeat would condemn either team to that fate. A draw would also leave things in the favour of Mexico and Brazil going into the final game, so while this is certainly a 'must-not-lose' match, both sides could also approach it as a must-win one too.

It has been yet another cracking day of World Cup action today, with Australia almost shocking the Netherlands and Chile eliminating Spain. Are we in line for another surprise tonight? The way this excellent World Cup has gone so far, we shouldn't rule anything out.

KICKOFF: Croatia get us underway in Manaus as they look to keep their World Cup campaign alive with a win against Croatia. It is a huge match for both sides.

Bright start from Cameroon as they look to take the game to Croatia early on. They earn an early free kick following a poor challenge from Pranjic, but the delivery is awful and cleared by the first man. They come forward again shortly afterwards, however, with Aboubakar winning a corner for his side.

Assou-Ekotto swings the corner into a dangerous area, and Mbia and Aboubakar are both in there to nod it goalwards. It is cleared off the line, but the whistle had already gone for a free kick. Very good start from the Africans.

Aboubakar has been involved in everything for Cameroon so far, and the Croatia defence is struggling to deal with him at the moment. Perhaps they won't miss Eto'o too much after all?

Mbia and Mandzukic clash in the Croatia area, with the latter going to ground and suggesting that an arm was thrown his way. The replay shows that there was a coming together between the two, but it was mere handbags really. Cameroon, meanwhile, see a free kick well cleared by Pranjic.

Croatia haven't really settled into this game just yet. They are struggling to keep hold of the ball for any real length of time, and they need to get the likes of Modric and Rakitic in possession more often.

Good defending from Mbia as he stoops to head the ball back to his keeper with the ball almost on the ground. It was a long ball forward from Corluka and a flick-on from Mandzukic that almost saw Olic sent through on goal, but Mbia was there.

GOAL! Cameroon 0-1 Croatia (Ivica Olic)

Croatia have the lead against the run of play! Cameroon could only half clear an initial cross into the box, with Mandzukic causing a nuisance to put the defender under pressure. The ball falls to Perisic, who threads a superb ball to Olic for a simple finish at the back post. That was all about the pass from Perisic, very composed play from the midfielder.

What a blow that is for Cameroon. They had made a promising start to this match and were the better team in the opening 10 minutes, but suddenly they find themselves a goal down. Is there any way back for them now, or will Croatia take control?

Mandzukic manages to turn his man and move to within shooting range, but his effort to double his side's lead is poor as he blazes a shot well over the crossbar. He was afforded too much room there, though.

CHANCE! What a huge chance for Croatia to double their lead! Cameroon fail to clear a corner and, after a bit of a scramble, the ball falls to Perisic just four yards from goal. He shoots on the turn, but can't squeeze it in from close range. Big opportunity for a second goal.

Rakitic can hit them from range, but he doesn't really get hold of this one as he drills a low effort straight at the keeper. It lacked the necessary power to trouble Itandje, who made a routine stop.

Sure enough, Croatia are now very much on top in this game. That goal has completely changed things, and the Europeans look a lot more confident coming forward now. They are taking control of the game and Cameroon are suddenly looking vulnerable.

SHOT! Cameroon are starting to come back into it a little here, but they won't get far wasting good opportunities like that. Mbia moves into a promising position but then proceeds to slice a wild effort way wide of the goal. Alex Song is not happy with his teammate!

It is the right flank for either side that is looking most promising in an attacking sense. The vast majority of attacks for Cameroon are coming through Mbia down the wing, but so far the Croatia defence has held firm against some dangerous deliveries into the area.

Cameroon have certainly steadied the ship after a spell on the rocks following the opening goal. It is a fairly even match at the moment, but Croatia just about look more dangerous going forward than their African counterparts.

We've seen one stunning volley today courtesy of Tim Cahill, but Olic's effort an emulating Van Basten is a little less impressive. He tries to hammer it towards the top corner from an acute angle, but he slices his strike a long way off target.

Modric and Rakitic have really struggled to get themselves involved in this match in the opening half an hour. Enoh and Song are doing a good job of getting close to them and, so far, they have marked them out of the game.

It is quite a slow game at the moment, which is no real surprise considering the conditions in Manaus. Both teams are trying to avoid expending too much energy, but that will have to change as the match goes on. Cameroon need to start looking for an equaliser, otherwise they are going out.

Rakitic for once gets a bit of space to pull the strings from deep, and he uses it well by spreading a delightful diagonal pass out to Olic. However, the goalscorer tries a first-time cross that doesn't come off, allowing Cameroon the chance to clear the danger.

Mbia has been bright for Cameroon so far today, but he took too long over this one. He advanced into a good position down the right flank before carrying the ball into the box but, by the time he finally put the cross into the area, he had been closed down and his delivery was blocked.

Mistake from Itandje as he tries to claim a sliced Olic cross from the left, only to drop the ball and spill it behind for a corner. He could have been given a shout there by his defence, telling him that there was no danger, but it was still poor from the former Liverpool man. From the resulting corner Perisic gets his head to the ball, but puts his effort well over the top.

Positive play from Matip as he makes a powerful run past a couple of challenges and into the left channel, but when trying to take on another defender the ball deflects off him and out for a goal kick. It just isn't happening for Cameroon in the final third at the moment.

Sammir finds himself in shooting space just outside the box, but his effort is tame and easy for Itandje. He may have been better suited looking for a teammate there, as Srna had made a lung-bursting run from right-back to get in support.

RED CARD! Alex Song (Cameroon)

Wow, what a huge blow that is for Cameroon! Out of nowhere, the referee produces a red card for Song following an off-the-ball incident as Perisic was breaking clear. The replay shows that Song and Mandzukic clashed in midfield, before the Barcelona man threw an elbow into the back of the Croatia striker. Madness from Song, who could well have cost his side the chance to get back into this one.

Mandzukic has made a meal of a lot of minor clashes already tonight and, in truth, he made the most of that one too. However, Song can have no complaints at the decision as such an elbow will always result in a red card. The referee was right to brandish it, and Song has made Cameroon's task incredible hard now.

The fallout from that red card means that Modric and Rakitic will have a lot more time on the ball for the rest of this match, which can only be bad news for Cameroon. Song had been shadowing them well up until that point, but his stupidity means that the playmakers are likely to have a much bigger say in the second half than they have had in the first.

Almost a hint of an opening for Cameroon as the ball breaks to Aboubakar on the edge of the box, but he can't set himself and fluffs his effort wide of the mark. The ball just came to him too quickly for him to really hit that right.

There will be just the one minute of added time at the end of this half.

HALF TIME: Cameroon 0-1 Croatia

Pedro Proenca brings an end to the opening 45 minutes in Manaus, and it is Croatia who into the break on top. They took the lead early on and started to take control of the match shortly afterwards, but Cameroon responded and, in the end, it was a fairly even half. However, Cameroon face an uphill task to get anything out of this match after Alex Song was shown a straight red card towards the end of the first half.

The goal came in the 11th minute and, to be fair to Cameroon, it was against the run of play after the Africans had made a bright start to the match. It was Olic who got the goal, firing home at the back post after a fabulous pass from Perisic to set him up. Mandzukic did well to help keep the ball alive from the cross, but it was all about Perisic's pass to find Olic.

Other than the goal, the major talking point of that first half was the sending off. Both of these teams were involved in controversial matches due to the officials at the start of this World Cup, but Proenca got his decision spot on here. It was a moment of madness from Song, who tried to elbow Mandzukic in the back while Perisic was breaking free on the counter-attack. It really was a needless and mindless piece of play from the Barcelona midfielder, who has left his side in a real spot of bother now.

Chances have been few and far between for both sides, with the best by far falling to Croatia. Cameroon failed to deal with a corner into the box and the ball fell to Perisic around six yards from goal. He shot on the turn, only to be denied by a good stop from Itandje. It all happened very quickly for the Croatia midfielder, but he really should have scored.

Remember, as things stand, Cameroon are heading out of the World Cup. Both Australia and Spain have already been eliminated today, so Cameroon could become the third side and first from Group A to see their World Cup dreams ended tonight. It is hard to see any other outcome than that, to be honest, with the Indomitable Lions needing to come back from a goal down and a man down. It would need an unlikely turnaround, but don't rule anything out in this World Cup!

KICKOFF: Cameroon get us back underway for the second half, and they have made a change at the break. On comes Dany Nounkeu in place of Chedjou, who has been sacrificed following that red card for Song.

Cameroon are sleeping from an early throw as Sammir almost makes it clean through on goal. He does reach the ball just before Itandje, but the angle is tight and he can only poke it into the side-netting.

GOAL! Cameroon 0-2 Croatia (Ivan Perisic)

Superb from Perisic as he picks up a poor kick from Itandje on the halfway line before tearing down the left flank and bursting into the box. He has Mandzukic in support in the middle but chooses to go for goal himself, sliding it past Itandje at his near post. The keeper went down very early there and probably should have done better, but take nothing away from Perisic.

CHANCE! Huge chance for a third for Croatia! Mandzukic is played straight through the middle of the park and only has the keeper to beat, but he delays his shot, allowing N'Koulou to get back and put him under pressure. The Bayern Munich striker then tries to lift the ball over the keeper, but puts it narrowly wide. He really should have scored there.

SHOT! Nounkeu attempts his own version of Tim Cahill's strike as he goes for a spectacular volley from a tight angle in the box. He certainly connects with it well, but his powerful strike is a few yards too high. It would have been some strike had it gone in!

Surely there is no way back for Cameroon in this match now. They are still playing fairly positively when given the chance, but they are just lacking in the final third. They only had one shot on target against the Mexicans in their opener, and they have been similarly toothless tonight.

Srna fires in a dangerous cross towards the near post, and Olic almost sneaks in to poke it beyond the keeper. It is poor defending to allow the ball to get that far and to not track Olic, but Cameroon get away with it on this occasion. Their defence has looked very shaky at times tonight.

Modric slips a fine pass through to Perisic, who cuts back on himself before being brought down by Nounkeu. Croatia now have a free kick just outside the box, but it could be a little too close to get it up and down over the wall.

It is Srna who takes the free kick on, but sure enough he can't get it down in time to find the target. He put plenty of power on the effort, but it flew a few yards over the crossbar and failed to trouble Itandje.

Croatia come forward again as Olic bursts into the box before firing an effort into the side-netting. They soon win the ball back and Modric goes for goal from 25 yards, but his effort deflects a few yards wide with the keeper wrong-footed. It is all Croatia at the moment.

GOAL! Cameroon 0-3 Croatia (Mario Mandzukic)

It had been coming! Croatia kill the game off with their third goal, and it is far too easy for Mandzukic. The returning striker rose highest inside the box to nod a header past the keeper, but he was put under barely any pressure despite the box being packed with green shirts. Dreadful defending once more from the Africans, and Croatia are fast improving their goal difference here. They may not be done either.

It looks like Cameroon's race is run in the World Cup, then. Their dire record at the finals continues as they still struggle to back-up the successes of Italia 90, 24 years ago. With Brazil waiting in the final match, it is very likely that they will once again be dumped out having not won a game.

Aboubakar is still toiling away up front as he bundles his way into the box and past a couple of challenges. He is eventually crowded out, however, allowing Croatia to break quickly. Olic leads the charge but can't take advantage of a very promising position as Cameroon survive.

The sending off five minutes before half time was the major turning point in this match. From that point on, Croatia have dominated this match, with Cameroon unable to get close to them in midfield. The Africans get a chance to break here, but Aboubakar slips when shooting and wastes another good position.

CROATIA SUB: Croatia make their first change of the night as Ivica Olic, who kicked off the scoring tonight, is replaced by former Arsenal striker Eduardo.

CLOSE! To be fair to Cameroon, they haven't completely given up here. Mbia advances down the right and fires a fine effort towards the top corner, but it flies narrowly over the angle with the keeper beaten. Not a bad strike at all.

CAMEROON SUB: Cameroon make a change of their own as Aboubakar, who has been one of their livelier players, is replaced by veteran striker Pierre Webo.

CROATIA SUB: Another change for Croatia as Sammir goes off to be replaced by Mateo Kovacic. The Inter Milan youngster is thought to have a bright future ahead of him, and this is another chance for him to shine on the biggest stage.

GOAL! Cameroon 0-4 Croatia (Mario Mandzukic)

It is another goal for Croatia, who could be on course for the biggest win of the tournament so far. Kovacic does really well on the right to pick out Eduardo in the box, and the sub striker curls a low strike towards the bottom far corner. Itandje gets down well to make the save, but he pushes it straight to Mandukic, who is left with the simplest of tap-ins.

CAMEROON SUB: The final change for Cameroon as Choupo-Moting is replaced by Edgar Salli. The departing winger has not had the best of games today.

It is all so easy for Croatia now. They are keeping the ball very well and still look dangerous when coming forward against an increasingly threadbare Cameroon defence. It would be a surprise if we had seen the last of the goals tonight.

CROATIA SUB: Perisic makes way after a very good performance, in which he has scored one and set up another. Ante Rebic comes on in his place.

Salli whips a corner in towards the near post, and Mbia makes the run to meet it. He tries to loop it towards the far corner, but his accuracy is off and it runs away to safety.

Srna plays what almost turns out to be a lovely ball over the top for Rebic, but Itandje is alert and does well to come off his line and clear the immediate danger.

Croatia are attacking at will here. Eduardo is the latest to come forward and he has space inside the box - something he usually takes full advantage of. However, this time he takes too long to decide what to do and his attempted pass deflects to Srna, whose powerful effort is blocked by Assou-Ekotto.

Decent play from Salli as he breaks away from his man and tries to slip a clever reverse pass through to Webo, who makes a diagonal run. However, the pass is fractionally too heavy and runs through to Pletikosa, who gets a rare touch of the ball.

CHANCE! Big chance for Cameroon to grab a consolation! Salli, who has been bright since coming on, darts into the middle and lays the ball off to Moukandjo, who finds himself with time and space to pick his spot. However, he loses his footing while shooting and slices an effort wide of the mark when he should have at least hit the target.

SAVE! Forward come Croatia as Rebic is released down the left flank before cutting inside, opening his body up and trying to curl an effort into the far corner. Itandje dives to his left to make the save, parrying it out into a dangerous area but just about getting away with it.

CHANCE! Oh it really should be a fifth! Cameroon are committing everyone forward in search of a goal, leaving Rebic with a whole half to run in to when Croatia break. He cuts back on himself and rolls it into the path of Rakitic, who tries to dink it over the keeper, only to put it narrowly wide.

OFF THE BAR! Almost something to shout about for Cameroon fans as Assou-Ekotto shapes a lovely ball into the middle that Webo rises well to nod down into the ground. It bounces back up and onto the crossbar, with Pletikosa beaten.

YELLOW CARD! Eduardo goes into the book late on for a foul on Salli, who threatened to break away down the left flank again.

Oh what is happening here! Assou-Ekotto seems to have gone in with his head on teammate Moukandjo, who to be fair didn't react as badly as he could have. It happened off the ball and out of sight of the ref, but it is more signs of the strife that is present in this Cameroon squad.

There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this match.

FULL TIME: Cameroon 0-4 Croatia

CAMEROON ARE ELIMINATED FROM THE 2014 WORLD CUP!

The referee puts Cameroon out of their misery by blowing his whistle for the last time tonight. They have been well beaten by a rampant Croatian side tonight, shipping four goals when it could have realistically been more. They were forced to play more than half of the match with 10 men after Alex Song was sent off five minutes before the break in what proved to be the major turning point in this match. The defeat means that Cameroon are out of the World Cup, while a win for Croatia would be enough to see them progress from Group A at the expense of Mexico.

Croatia took the lead in the 11th minute courtesy of Olic's finish from close range having been found by a fine Perisic pass. Perisic then got his own name on the scoresheet with a fine solo effort down the left wing, before a Mario Mandzukic brace saw Croatia cruise to the victory. The first came from a header inside the box following some poor marking from Cameroon, while the second was the simplest of finishes after Itandje had parried the ball straight to him.

Three of the four goals came against 10 men as Cameroon's defence became increasingly shambolic as the match went on. The main blame for the defeat has to go to Alex Song, who needlessly elbowed Mandzukic to earn a straight red card and leave his side with a mountain to climb in the hot and humid conditions of Manaus. It was a moment of madness and stupidity that will surely cause further friction in the dressing room - signs of which were seen on the pitch towards the end as Assou-Ekotto and Moukandjo clashed.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for another action-packed match at this incredible World Cup. Cameroon cap off a remarkable day by becoming the third team to be eliminated courtesy of a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Croatia. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. The action keeps on coming with three more games tomorrow, including the big one between England and Uruguay. Join us for that! From me, though, it is goodbye for now!

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Croatia coach Niko Kovac stands on the touchline on March 05, 2014.
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Q Netherlands Netherlands32107
Q Senegal flag Senegal32016
3 Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
4 Qatar Qatar30030

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England32107
Q United States USA31205
3 Iran Iran31023
4 Wales flag Wales30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Argentina Argentina32016
Q Poland Poland31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia31023

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France32016
Q Australia Australia32016
3 Tunisia Tunisia31114
4 Denmark Denmark30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Japan Japan32016
Q Spain Spain31114
3 Germany Germany31114
4 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31023

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Morocco Morocco32107
Q Croatia Croatia31205
3 Belgium Belgium31114
4 Canada Canada30030

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Brazil Brazil32016
Q Switzerland Switzerland32016
3 Cameroon flag Cameroon31114
4 Serbia Serbia30121

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31114
3 Uruguay flag Uruguay31114
4 Ghana flag Ghana31023


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!