FIFA WC 2022: Cameroon versus Serbia match ends in thrilling 3-3 draw in Group G
AL WAKRAH, Qatar: Substitute Vincent Aboubakar scored one goal and created another as Cameroon rallied from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Serbia at the World Cup on Monday.
He lobbed goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in the 64th minute and then set up striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting two minutes later.
The thrilling draw was the first game at the World Cup in Qatar in which both teams gave up a lead.
But the result suited neither side.
They each have one point after two Group G matches and either Brazil or Switzerland can qualify with a win when they meet later Monday.
Cameroon led through central defender Jean-Charles Castelletto’s 29th minute tap-in but also conceded twice in quick succession.
Strahinja Pavlovic scored the equalizer on a header in the first minute of first-half stoppage time and, two minutes later, midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic struck from 20 meters.
Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic made it 3-1 in the 53rd at Al Janoub Stadium.
Cameroon coach Rigobert Song dropped goalkeeper Andre Onana for the match. It was not immediately clear why Onana was left out amid reports it was for disciplinary reasons.
Onana, who has 34 international caps and plays for Inter Milan, responded by posting the lineup on Instagram.
His absence overshadowed a fine comeback performance when all the talk should have been about Aboubakar.
Aboubakar, the top scorer at the African Cup of Nations, turned the game when he came off the bench in the 55th minute.
First, he calmly guided the ball over goalkeeper Milinkovic-Savic. The goal was given offside but awarded following a video review.
Then, a quick break sliced open the Serbian defense as Aboubakar sprinted down the right and squared the ball to give Choupo-Moting an easy goal.
Both sides lost their opening games, with Serbia beaten 2-0 by Brazil and Cameroon losing 1-0 to Switzerland.
Cameroon took the lead when Pierre Kunde’s corner from the left was flicked on by Nicolas Nkoulou to the back post and found his fellow central defender Castelletto unmarked.
Castelletto dropped to his knees to kiss the grass then pointed to the sky, as the entire bench swarmed across the field to engulf him in celebration.
The Serbian bench did the same when central defender Pavlovic headed the equalizer from a free kick by Dusan Tadic.
Serbia’s second goal came after Napoli’s highly-rated midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa got into a tangle trying to clear the ball.
The ball found its way to Sergej Milinkovic-Savic on the edge of the penalty area, who shot into the bottom right corner.
Mitrovic then made no mistake as Serbia prised open Cameroon with three passes and he stroked the ball into an empty net for his seventh goal in six games for his nation and 51st overall.
Then it was the turn of Serbia’s defense to fall apart.
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Supreme Court declares Tamil Nadu Governor’s withholding of assent to bills “illegal and arbitrary”
New Delhi: In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s decision to withhold assent to 10 Bills passed by the State Assembly was “illegal” and “arbitrary”. The court also held that his move to subsequently reserve the Bills for Presidential consideration was not in line with constitutional principles and set aside the Governor’s actions.
The ruling, delivered by a bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan, marks a major victory for the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government. The court said the Governor had failed to act in "good faith" and had disregarded constitutional obligations.
“The action of the Governor to reserve the 10 Bills for the President is illegal and arbitrary. Thus, the action is set aside. All actions taken by the Governor thereto for the 10 Bills are set aside. These Bills shall be deemed to be cleared from the date it was re-presented to the Governor,” the bench stated in its order.
The court underlined that Article 200 of the Constitution does not grant unchecked discretion to the Governor. It laid down clear timelines for the exercise of powers under this provision, thereby reinforcing the principle of accountability in constitutional governance.
Timelines and Judicial Review
The judgment prescribed the following timeframes:
- A Governor must act within one month when withholding assent or reserving a Bill for the President’s consideration, with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
- When reserving a Bill without the Council's advice, the Governor has a maximum of three months.
- If a Bill is re-passed by the state legislature after reconsideration, the Governor must grant assent within one month.
The court clarified that any delay or deviation from these guidelines could invite judicial review, thereby making the Governor’s actions subject to legal scrutiny.
“This court is in no way undermining the powers of the Governor. All actions of the Governor must align with the principle of parliamentary democracy,” the bench noted.
Tense relations between Raj Bhavan and State Government
Governor RN Ravi, a former IPS officer and ex-CBI official, assumed office in Tamil Nadu in 2021. His tenure has been marred by frequent clashes with the MK Stalin-led government. The ruling DMK has repeatedly accused him of behaving like a BJP spokesperson and obstructing the state government’s legislative and administrative functioning.
These confrontations have been evident in the Assembly as well. In 2023, the Governor refused to deliver the customary address, criticising the draft as containing “misleading claims far from truth”. In 2022, he omitted portions of the speech that mentioned leaders like Dr BR Ambedkar, Periyar, and CN Annadurai, as well as references to the “Dravidian Model” and the law and order situation in the state.
Last year, the Governor also walked out of the Assembly during his address after objecting to the absence of the National Anthem at the beginning of the session. As per tradition, the Tamil Nadu Assembly plays the Tamil Thai Valthu at the start and the National Anthem at the end. Governor Ravi, however, insisted that the National Anthem be played at both times.
The state government has maintained that the Governor’s repeated withholding of assent and refusal to act on Bills passed by the legislature amounts to an attack on democratic values and federalism.
Tuesday’s Supreme Court verdict is expected to have far-reaching implications on Centre-state relations and the constitutional role of Governors across the country.
