African sides have never had formidable success at the World Cup and many do not believe that that trend will come to an end in Brazil this summer. There are some teams that are expected to get out of the group stage, but Cameroon is not one of them. Can the team prove doubters wrong?

History

This is the seventh World Cup that the Indomitable Lions will participate in. The team's first ever World Cup tournament was in 1982 when the team finished in 17th place. In 1990, the African nation had its best ever finish when it made it to the quarterfinals and finished as the eighth best side in the World Cup. Since then the team has failed to get out of the group stage and has only managed one win in its last 12 World Cup matches; seven of those matches have ended in losses for the Lions.

The team's worst World Cup performance was actually on its own continent four years ago. Cameroon was grouped with the Netherlands, Japan and Denmark and lost every single game in the group stage; the Lions scored two goals and conceded five and finished 31st out of 32 nations.

How did they qualify for this tournament?

Cameroon was seeded into Group I of the CAF group stage and had to play against Libya, DR Congo and Togo. The team won four of the six games, tied once and lost at Libya.

In the ensuing playoff round, Cameroon was drawn into a matchup with Tunisia. After drawing 0-0 on the road in the first leg, the team won 4-1 at home to clinch a spot in the tournament.

Top Stars

This tournament will be the final one for top star Samuel Eto'o. The 33-year-old has scored 55 goals for Cameroon in 115 matches. As the Captain of this team, expect him to put on a show in his international swansong.

Barcelona's Alex Song will also get a chance to make a stand in the midfield. After Eto'o, 30-year-old Jean Makoun is the most capped player for Cameroon with 66 appearances.

Can they get out of the group stage?

Cameroon is the uncontested underdog in this group. Brazil, Mexico and Croatia are all looked upon as superior sides. Brazil is almost a shoe-in for the top spot in the group while many believe that Mexico and Croatia will compete for second place. Cameroon has a chance to make a run at second place if it managed to top Mexico or Cameroon.

The African side has never faced Croatia in its history and lost its only encounter with Mexico. In five matches against Brazil, the team has a record of one win, three losses and one draw; the lone victory came back in 2003 during the Confederations Cup.

Can they win it all?

There is no chance that this team wins the World Cup. It is hard to picture the African side finishing better than fourth in its group, let alone get out of the group stage. The best Cameroon can aspire to is a draw or two against one of the weaker sides. A draw against Brazil would be cause enough to celebrate. What will be of special interest is how Eto'o performs in his final World Cup.