BOTH Switzerland and Cameroon will be keen to hit the ground running in World Cup Group G when the pair face off at the Al-Janoub Stadium on Thursday morning.
The Swiss caused quite a stir at last year's rearranged Euro's when they sent star-studded France packing following a thrilling 3-3 draw and subsequent penalty shootout triumph at the round of 16 stage.
Following those heroics, Murat Yakin's men put in some mighty impressive performances in their undefeated World Cup qualification campaign as they secured top spot ahead of European champions Italy.
Having been housed in Group G alongside Brazil and Serbia, Die Nati will know that claiming three points in their curtain-raiser with Cameroon could be crucial if they are to navigate their way out of this section.
After missing out on a place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Indomitable Lions demonstrated remarkable fighting spirit to overcome a 1-0 first leg deficit in a playoff against Algeria to stamp their ticket to Qatar.
Rigobert Song's side should give a good account of themselves but getting out of this group will be a big ask for Cameroon, who are as big as 7/2 (Highbet) to qualify.
Outright Betting
Switzerland banked three points in their World Cup opener in 2018 and they are 4/5 (Betfred) favourites to follow suit this time around.
Cameroon, who have lost each of their last seven World Cup matches, enter their Group G opener as 81/20 (Highbet) outsiders while a point apiece has been priced up 49/20 (Highbet).
Betting Angles
Murat Yakin's men are worthy favourites here and I’m more than happy to back Die Nati to do the business at 4/5 with Betfred.
Switzerland have demonstrated a continued ability to punch above their weight in major tournaments over a sustained period of time, having reached the last-16 in three of the the last four World Cups appearances, not to mention their aforementioned run to the quarter-final stage of Euro 2020.
What's more, the Swiss showed that they are a force to be reckoned with during World Cup qualification so they should be brimming with confidence heading into their opening contest of the competition.
As for Cameroon, they have a real lack of pedigree in major tournaments and that is evidenced by the fact that they have failed to emerge from their group since 1990.
It's also worth pointing out that Rigobert Song and his players' preparations for the 2022 World Cup were far from ideal, with recent stalemates with Jamaica and Panama leaving little to write home about.
With all things considered, backing what looks like both a superior and more streetwise Switzerland side to prevail in a game that will almost certainly be pivotal to their hopes of progressing makes plenty of appeal at 4/5 (Betfred).
Given that penalty kicks have been awarded on a daily basis during the opening stretch of the tournament, Switzerland's Ricardo Rodriguez could be worth a speculative punt to score at 10/1 (UniBet).
The Swiss left-back tends to be on spot lick duty for his country and he is also capable of the spectacular from free-kicks, so he looks good value to bag a goal here at a bold price.
This World Cup match between Switzerland and Cameroon will be played on Nov 24, 2022 and kick off at 10:00. Check below for our tipsters best Switzerland vs Cameroon prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
