- Panama wasteful in first half
- Andre Onana made crucial saves
- Choupo-Moting scored early in second half
WHAT HAPPENED? Panama would have won the match easily had they maximized chances that went unconverted, especially in the first half.
Cameroon came close to breaking the deadlock in the fifth minute, but Vincent Aboubakar - from the edge of the penalty box - sent his shot wide.
Panama could not maximize their 20th-minute goalscoring opportunity to grab a lead. After receiving a good pass from Ismael Diaz, Adalberto Carrasquilla’s low shot went out by inches.
Four minutes past the half-hour mark, Onana made a fabulous save to deny Panama's Ismael Diaz, who attempted to find the top corner with a long-range shot.
Onana was alert once again in the 38th minute when he parried out Cristian Martinez’s pinpoint shot as Panama looked more dominant and ambitious than the Indomitable Lions.
Just a minute before the halftime break, the former Ajax goalkeeper made another fantastic save to keep the score at 0-0. Carrasquilla thought he had broken the deadlock, but Onana’s quick reaction sent the ball out as the Indomitable Lions survived the late first-half scare.
Choupo-Moting put the Indomitable Lions ahead in the 48th minute, just two minutes after replacing Aboubakar.
Cameroon almost grabbed the second in the 52nd minute after a counter-attack, but Georges-Kevin Nkoudou failed to launch a precise final shot as Orlando Mosquera collected the ball with ease.
Panama restored parity in the 55th minute when Michael Murillo managed to beat the wall and find the back of the net with a free-kick.
The Central Americans would have scored the second goal, but Diaz could only let his shot fly over the bar despite being in a very promising position to hurt Cameroon.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The changes made by Rigobert Song stabilized Cameroon, especially after they survived conceding goals in the first half.
Apart from the Choupo-Moting-Aboubakar change, Nkoudou replaced Karl Toko Ekambi, and Enzo Ebosse came on for Tolo Nouhou just as the second half began.
Later on, Pierre Kunde, Christian Bassogog, and Christopher Wooh came for Olivier Ntcham, Bryan Mbeumo, and Nicolas Nkoulou, respectively.
ALL EYES ON: Choupo-Moting has been in awesome goalscoring form for Bayern Munich and is expected to be the focal point of Cameroon’s attacking plans in Qatar.
His goal against Panama suggests he is all set to replicate the form witnessed at the club level on the national side.
THE VERDICT: Song’s backline looked shaky, and on a number of occasions, they were rescued by Onana. The former African champions need to come up with a plan to solidify the defence if they are to make an impact in Qatar.
Apart from failing to register a win in four friendlies now, Cameroon are yet to register a clean sheet as well.
They lost 2-0 to Uzbekistan and fell to South Korea by a 1-0 margin before settling for a 1-1 draw against Jamaica in previous friendlies. This should be a worrying concern for Song.
WHAT NEXT FOR CAMEROON? The Indomitable Lions will begin their World Cup campaign with a group opening match against Switzerland on November 24.