FIFA World Cup: Switzerland beat Cameroon as Breel Embolo scores winner against his country of birth

Cameroon had more of the game in the first half, but in the end, it was the eighth straight defeat for Rigobert Song's team at a World Cup.

It will be an uphill battle to reach the knockout stage, as this team is now just a pale imitation of the brutal but brilliant side that broke new ground for Africa as quarterfinalists in Italia 90.

The game started cautiously, and Cameroon had the first chance in the 10th minute when Brentford striker Bryan Mbeumo fired the ball into the goal.

Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer blocked his shot, and Karl Toko Ekambi fired the rebound over the bar.

Four minutes later, the Africans retook the lead when Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting heckled Swiss Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji.

The Cameroon captain, who used to play for Stoke and is now with Bayern Munich, surged forward but could not finish his shot cleanly, allowing Sommer to clear the ball.

Martin Hongla's shot was cleared for a corner after good work by Mbeumo and Choupo-Moting, and Swiss right-back Silvan Widmer just managed to intercept a Collins Fai cross from the right where Toko Ekambi was lurking.

Embolo had the Europeans' best chance six minutes before halftime, but Jean-Charles Castelletto stopped him with a well-timed shot.

Akanji rose high to place a header from six yards wide of the goal as the half drew to a close.

Switzerland took the lead in the 48th minute as Remo Freuler had broken through in midfield, played the ball to the right, and Xherdan Shaqiri had set up Embolo with a cross that the Monaco striker put into the net.

In the 57th minute, Choupo-Moting broke through on the right touchline, but Sommer blocked the ball when he tried to bring it into the sixteen-yard area.

Switzerland came close to scoring a second goal twice just before the halftime break. Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana blocked a shot from Ruben Vargas after good work by Shaqiri. Zambo Anguissa made a brilliant save to prevent Embolo from sliding in from a corner.

Substitute Fabian Rieder almost added to the tally when he tried to set up Haris Seferovic, who had replaced Embolo, with a cross from the left, but the striker could not reach the ball.

Onana held Swiss captain Granit Xhaka's shot from outside the box, and Castelletto stopped Seferovic with a brilliant save. Still, Murat Yakin's team had already done enough.