Cameroon vs Serbia and other World Cup news and highlights

Cameroon score their first goal! The ball is swung in from a corner and it is deflected to the far post by a Cameroonian attacker and it drops to Jean-Charles Castelletto makes it 1-0!

And we're off at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah!

Cameroon and Serbia have kicked off with both in desperate need of points to have any chance of progressing through to the knockout stage.

Iran state media called for the US to be kicked out of the 2022 World Cup after the United States Soccer Federation changed Iran’s flag on its social media platforms to show support for protesters in Iran.

What happened? US Soccer had temporarily displayed Iran’s national flag on its official Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. A now-deleted graphic of the Group B standings posted on Saturday displayed the Iranian flag only bearing its green, white and red colors.

The change "was a one-time graphic," US Soccer told CNN. "We have the main flag on our website and other places." The emblem is currently back on the flag on US Soccer’s social media channels.

Here's some background: Iran is appearing at this World Cup under the shadow of domestic turmoil. The Islamic Republic has been gripped by a wave of anti-government protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman detained by the morality police in September allegedly for not wearing her hijab properly. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Chief, Volker Turk, has said that the country is in a "full-fledged human rights crisis" as authorities clamp down on anti-regime dissidents.

Iran state media reported Sunday that the United States should be immediately kicked out of the tournament and suspended for 10 games for a "distorted image" of the country’s flag.

"By posting a distorted image of the flag of the Islamic Republic of #Iran on its official account, the #US football team breached the @FIFAcom charter, for which a 10-game suspension is the appropriate penalty," Iran state-aligned Tasnim news agency wrote on Twitter on Sunday. "Team #USA should be kicked out of the #WorldCup2022."

A spokesperson for the State Department told CNN it did not coordinate with US Soccer in the sporting body’s decision to change Iran’s flag on its social media accounts to show support for protesters in Iran.

"We look forward to a peaceful and competitive match on the field. The United States continues to find ways to support the Iranian people in the face of state-sponsored violence against women and a brutal crackdown against peaceful protestors," the State Department told CNN.

What do players think? US defender Walker Zimmerman said that the team are firm believers in women's rights.

"We didn't know anything about the posts, but we are supporters of women's rights, we always have been," he said.

"We're focused a lot on Tuesday and the sporting side as well... but at the same time, we're firm believers in women's rights and support them.

"And we know that it's a lot of difficulties and a lot of heartbreak and in a very disturbing time," he added.

"We can't speak for them and their message. We know that they're all emotional," Zimmerman said. "They're all going through things right now, they're human. Again, we empathize with that human emotion and completely feel for them."

Iran and the US play each other on Tuesday in a crucial Group B match. It is a must-win tie for the US if it is to progress to the knockout stages.

Cameroon will be looking to end its eight match World Cup losing streak in today's game against Serbia.

The Indomitable Lions' last win was in 2002, where they took a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia.

"We’ve got work to do and there are still six points up for grabs," defender Nicolas Nkoulou said following his team's 1-0 opening match loss to Switzerland.

"We’re going to take on board what happened during this game and come back all guns blazing for the remaining matches," he added.

Coach Rigobert Song – who was part of the team's 2002 squad – agreed. "The second game's where we’re going to come into our own, I reckon," he said, adding that his players "will show a different side to themselves."

Cameroon

Manager: Rigobert Song

Goalkeepers: Simon Ngapandouetnbu, Devis Epassy, Andre Onana

Defenders: Nicolas Nkoulou, Enzo Ebosse, Nouhou Tolo, Olivier Mbaizo, Collins Fai, Jean-Charles Castelletto, Christopher Wooh

Midfielders: Gael Ondoa, Samuel Oum Gouet, Pierre Kunde, Martin Hongla, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Olivier Ntcham

Forwards: Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Vincent Aboubakar, Bryan Mbeumo, Jean-Pierre Nsame, Karl Toko Ekambi, Moumi Ngamaleu, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Christian Bassogog, Souaibou Marou, Jerome Ngom

Starting XI: Epassy, Fai, Castelletto, Nkoulou, Tolo, Anguissa, Kunde, Hongla, Mbeumo, Maxim Choupo-Moting, Ekambi

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Serbia

Manager: Dragan Stojković

Goalkeepers: Predrag Rajković, Marko Dmitrović, Vanja Milinković Savić

Defenders: Nikola Milenković, Stefan Mitrović, Strahinja Pavlović, Miloš Veljković, Filip Mladenović, Srđan Babić, Strahinja Eraković

Midfielders: Nemanja Gudelj, Sergej Milinković Savić, Saša Lukić, Marko Grujić, Filip Kostić, Uroš Račić, Nemanja Maksimović, Ivan Ilić, Andrija Živković, Darko Lazović

Forwards: Dušan Tadić, Aleksandar Mitrović, Luka Jović, Dušan Vlahović, Filip Đuričić, Nemanja Radonjić

Starting XI: Milinković Savić, Milenković, Veljković, Pavlović, Živković, Lukić, Maksimović, Kostić, Tadić, Milinković Savić, Mitrović

Saturday's marquee matchup ended in a 1-1 tie between Germany and Spain, the former World Cup winners.

The two entered the game in very different positions, with Spain atop the Group E standings after a 7-0 drubbing of Costa Rica. Meanwhile, Germany was at the bottom of the standings and trying to bounce back from a shock loss to Japan.

Even with the draw, Spain remains well in control of its fate with four points, alone atop the group.

Germany still has life with one point, but has work to do in its next match against Costa Rica, and will need some outcomes to break its way.

Match recap:

After a scoreless first half, Germany came out pressing as they fought for their World Cup lives.

Spain had trouble getting out of its own half in the early minutes of the second period. In the 49th minute, Germany earned a free kick in a dangerous spot but wasted the opportunity. In the 55th minute, a costly turnover forced Spanish goalie Unai Simón into an outstretched save on a Joshua Kimmich shot.

Coming off the bench, Álvaro Morata became the difference-maker for La Roja.

In the 62nd minute, the 30-year-old Spanish striker found the back of the net to break the deadlock and give Spain the 1-0 lead.

Germany made a valiant effort to get the goal back. In the 70th minute, Jamal Musiala had a great chance to equalize for Germany from point break range. But Simon stood tall to make the block and keep the Germans out.

Finally, 20 minutes after Spain took the lead, Germany broke through. In the 82nd minute, Niclas Füllkrug beat Simon and squared the match late.

No one scored in the little time remaining despite a few promising chances, and the two teams ended in a deadlock.

Croatia avoided joining the list of defeated favorites on Sunday, beating Canada 4-1 to record its first win in Qatar.

The 2018 World Cup finalist had to come from a goal behind after Alphonso Davies scored in 68 seconds – the fastest goal at the tournament so far – to give Canada the lead.

But Croatia hit back with goals from Andrej Kramaric and Marko Livaja before halftime.

Kramaric got his second goal of the game 20 minutes from time. Lovro Majer added the fourth in injury time to secure Croatia’s win.

Canada exits the World Cup with two defeats in two matches, joining host country Qatar as the second team eliminated.

It was a day of big upsets at the World Cup as Belgium and Japan both succumbed to shock defeats against Morocco and Costa Rica, respectively.

Morocco won its first World Cup match since 1998 – and its third ever – securing a sensational 2-0 victory over heavyweight Belgium. That ensured that it can still qualify for the knockout stage for the second time in its history.

The Atlas Lions were roared on by raucous support inside the stadium as they overcame a disallowed goal on the stroke of halftime to score two glorious strikes in the second half.

First, Abdelhamid Sabiri curled in a perfectly-weighted free kick from the left-hand wing, bamboozling Thibaut Courtois. Then Zakaria Aboukhlal sealed his side’s famous win.

Costa Rica bounces back

Earlier in the day, Costa Rica shocked Japan with a 1-0 win, thanks to an 81st minute goal from Keysher Fuller. That kept its hopes of qualifying for the World Cup knockout stages alive with a crucial three points.

Japan, fresh from a surprise victory over Germany that has given them a real chance of reaching the knockout stages, could not find a foothold in the game. That was despite Costa Rica still licking its wounds from a chastening 7-0 defeat against Spain.

It was a cagey, underwhelming opening first 45 minutes, marked by untidy passing from both sides. Neither could muster a single shot on target.

Then, against the run of play, Costa Rica capitalized on a mistake on the edge of the box. Fuller rifled the ball into the top corner of the net, past the outstretched hand of Shuichi Gonda, for his side’s first shot on target and first goal of the tournament.

It silenced the Samurai Blue fans for the first time, whose current of singing and drums had swept around the stadium for much of the game. It buoyed the Costa Rican support, as their own chants of “Oe Oe Ticos!” grew louder.

With just nine minutes of regular time remaining, Japan saw its hopes of sealing a spot in the knockout stages slip away. A chance late with the ball ricocheting around the box was marshalled by Navas, and Costa Rica held on for the win.