Serbia crack the whip but Indomitable Lions refuse to be tamed

AL WAKRAH, Qatar: Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic had said his side would approach their World Cup Group G fixture against Cameroon with a view to "taming" the Indomitable Lions, but veteran striker Vincent Aboubakar had other ideas.

With both Serbia and Cameroon desperate for points after their opening defeats, they played out one of the most entertaining games of the tournament, attacking at every opportunity and refusing to sit back.

In the end, a 3-3 draw was probably a fair result in a game where the pendulum swung back and forth as the teams exchanged leads, and it was the introduction of Aboubakar for Cameroon that proved crucial for his side.

Facing the ignominy of equalling the record for nine consecutive defeats in World Cup tournaments, Aboubakar's goal and assist - less than three minutes apart - kept the African side alive in the tournament ahead of Brazil's match with Switzerland.

"In these competitions you have to show desire for victory," Aboubakar said.

"My team-mates had a great first half despite some small mistakes. We felt they were shaky and a bit tired. When I came on, I tried to make the most of it."

Samuel Eto'o was the last player to score a winner for Cameroon at the World Cup 20 years ago, and the president of the country's football federation had waited outside the team hotel to embrace the squad before their trip to the stadium.

Some of his magic seemed to have rubbed off on the players as Jean-Charles Castelletto opened the scoring to give Cameroon their first goal at the World Cup in eight years.

But Stojkovic's side quickly took back control with three goals either side of halftime to break Cameroonian hearts in the stands while the Serbian contingent were in full voice.

Cameroon coach Rigobert Song