Preview: Cameroon vs China - prediction, team news, lineups

China look to seal top spot in the Australian section of the 2026 FIFA Series when they take on Cameroon at AAMI Park for their final outing of the friendly tournament on Tuesday.

A 2–0 victory over Curacao leaves the Dragon Team top of the bracket on goal, while a narrow 1–0 defeat to Australia sees the Indomitable Lions enter this encounter third on the log.

Match preview

With this series played under the pre-arranged format — where standings are determined by points accumulated across two matches — China know victory on Tuesday would be enough to secure top spot in the Australian section following their winning start.

Goals from Wei Shihao and Zhang Yuning handed the Dragon Team maximum points against Curacao, with the result also delivering Shao Jiayi his first victory in his two games in charge and extending the Asian side’s unbeaten run to three matches (W2, D1).

That uptick follows a difficult spell, during which China lost five of their previous six outings, with their solitary victory in that sequence proving insufficient to secure a World Cup berth, having finished three points behind fourth-placed Indonesia in Group C of Asia’s third qualifying round.

As a result, success in the Australian series would provide a timely boost during the team’s rebuilding phase, while also offering an opportunity to improve their current 92nd-place standing in the FIFA World Rankings.

Like their Asian opponent, Cameroon are undergoing a transitional period of their own, with the five-time African champions - currently ranked 45th in the world - seeking to rediscover consistency.

The Indomitable Lions missed out on qualification for the 2026 World Cup after finishing four points behind Cape Verde, while they were also eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations by hosts Morocco in January.

Playing their first match since that setback, a Bryan Mbeumo-less Cameroon suffered a narrow defeat to another host nation in Saturday’s FIFA Series opener, where Jordan Bos’s late strike condemned the African nation to back-to-back losses for the first time since October 2023.

Needing victory to stand any chance of topping the Australian section, David Pagou’s side can still draw encouragement from their recent away form, having won three of their last five matches on foreign soil (D1, L1).

Cameroon International Friendlies form:

Cameroon form (all competitions):

China International Friendlies form:

China form (all competitions):

Team News

China emerged from their win over Curacao without any apparent injury concerns, leaving head coach Jiayi with a full 26-man squad available for selection.

Captain Yuning impressed last time out, providing an assist before getting on the scoresheet himself, and he is expected to play a key role again, likely in a two-man attack within a 4-4-2 setup.

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Xu Bin - on loan at Barnsley - made his senior debut before being substituted for Huang Jiahui, who also earned his first cap, giving Jiayi a choice between the two for a starting spot.

For Cameroon, Ryan Fosso featured for the senior side for the first time after operating in a supporting role behind striker Christian Kofane following Mbeumo’s withdrawal.

Mael Fernandez Monyebe, Hamadou Moubarak and Angel Yondjo also made their debuts off the bench, while several members of the squad remain in line for maiden appearances.

Meanwhile, players such as Karl Etta Eyong and Jackson Tchatchoua could be handed opportunities after being unused substitutes in the previous outing.

Cameroon possible starting lineup:

Epassy; Malone, Kotto, Moungam; Tchatchoua, Ebong, Brice, Yongwa; Etta Eyong, Namaso; Kofane

China possible starting lineup:

Yan; Y Alex, Zhu, Haofan, Liu; Wenneng, Xu, Wang, Yudong; Y Zhang, Wei

We say: Cameroon 1 -1 China

This marks the first meeting between the two sides, leaving little head-to-head reference, though the gap in pedigree suggested by the world rankings appears narrower in context.

Cameroon’s youthful squad remains in a developmental phase, while China’s resurgence is still gathering momentum, and with both teams needing a result to boost their chances of topping the section, a closely contested draw looks the most likely outcome.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.