All eyes are on 27-year-old Bassogog as Cameroon prepare to face Switzerland this Thursday at 1pm

Christian Bassogog in action ap

Former Barcelona and Inter Milan star Samuel Eto'o who is the president of the Cameroon Football Federation last week predicted that his country Cameroon will win the 2022 World Cup that kicks off today in Qatar.

The one-time Chelsea forward who was also voted Africa Player of the Year during his prime said African sides are going to make history and dominate the World Cup.

While many continue to debate if indeed time has reached for African teams to come out of the shadows and compete with the dominant European and South American nations, focus will be on 27-year-old Cameroon striker Christian Bassogog.

Bassogog began his career in his native Cameroon at second-division side Rainbow FC, graduating from the youth system.
On 29 April 2015, Bassogog joined the United Soccer League club Wilmington Hammerheads, in the United States.

Christian Bassogog in action ap

Christian played 16 games and made two assists for the American club before he moved to the Danish club AaB in August of the same year.

On 19 February 2017, AaB officially announced the departure of Bassogog for a reported fee of 45 million Danish kroner (approx. PS5 million) to join the Chinese side Henan Jianye FC.

This was a recording-breaking transfer fee for AaB, surpassing that of Jesper Gronkjaer when he signed for the Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam for PS3.5 million in October 1997.

Currently, he plays for Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua which he joined in 2021.
Bassogog had a stellar Africa Cup of Nations 2018, scoring once en route to their victory, and was named the Best Player at AFCON 2017.

Samuel Eto'o, right, in action for Cameroon. (Julie Jacobson/AP)

Coach Rigobert Song last week unveiled his list of 26 Indomitable Lions- surprisingly including uncapped teenaged Marseille goalkeeper Simon Ngapandouetnbu and two domestic-based players - Souaibou Marou and Jerome Ngom.

Song left out long-serving centre back Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui from their squad.

The squad features stars like Aboubakar Vincent and Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as well as Napoli's Zambo Anguissa.

Cameroon will be playing in the African record-extending eighth World Cup finals.

Cameroon, who are Quarter-finalists in 1990 have been drawn in Group G alongside five-time winners Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland, who they will face first on 24 November.

There will be five African sides at the World Cup, with Morocco and Cameroon competing alongside Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia.
Only three African teams have ever made it to the quarter-finals - Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) - but none have made it to the last four.

Cameroon World Cup 2022 squad

GK: Simon Ngapandouetnbu (Marseille)
GK: Devis Epassy (Abha)
GK: Andre Onana (Inter Milan)
DF: Nicolas Nkoulou (Aris)
DF: Enzo Ebosse (Udinese)
DF: Oumar Gonzalez (Ajaccio)
DF: Nouhou Tolo (Seattle Sounders)
DF: Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union)
DF: Collins Fai (Al-Tai)
DF: Jean-Charles Castelletto (Nantes)
DF: Christopher Wooh (Rennes)
MF: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli)
MF: Jerome Ngom Mbekeli (APEJES de Mfou)
MF: Gael Ondoua (Hannover)
MF: Samuel Gouet (Mechelen)
MF: Pierre Kunde (Olympiacos)
MF: Martin Hongla (Hellas Verona)
MF: Olivier Ntcham (Swansea)
FW: Vincent Aboubakar (Al-Nassr)
FW: Souaibou Marou (Coton Sport)
FW: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich)
FW: Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenhua)
FW: Moumi Ngamaleu (Dynamo Moscow)
FW: Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Besiktas)
FW: Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
FW: Jean-Pierre Nsame (Young Boys)
FW: Karl Toko Ekambi (Lyon)
FW: Moumi Ngamaleu (Dynamo Moscow)