Opinion – Juca Kfouri: Tite will do well to give the substitutes the ball against Cameroon

This Friday (2), for the third time in history, the teams from Brazil and Cameroon will face each other in World Cup games.

The first took place in 1994, in the United States, with a 3-0 Brazilian victory, and the second in Brazil, in 2014, another quiet victory, 4-1.

Whenever she faced an African team in World Cups, the Brazilian did well, starting with Zaire (3-0), in 1974, continuing with 3-0 in Ghana, in 2006, and ending, in 2010, with the 3 to 1 over Ivory Coast, in South Africa.

Twice, however, both Nigeria and Cameroon eliminated the Brazilians at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games.

Risk out of the question in Qatar, because a game of interest only to the Cameroonians who can qualify if they win and the Swiss and Serbs draw.

Tite will do well to give the ball to the reserves, although he must take into account that not losing will maintain a valuable tradition in the history of winning the fifth world championship: the team has always been undefeated, in 32 games, with 28 victories.

Either because of superstition, or because of high spirits, winning will do you good, and not exposing the most important players too, given the strong play of rivals.

In the 1-0 defeat against Switzerland, Cameroon made goalkeeper Sommer the best on the field and, in the sensational 3-3 against Serbia, he showed reaction capacity by taking the lead, taking the turnaround by 3-1 and still looking for the equality.

Everything indicates that we will have a good game in Lusail, the stage to which the selection wants to return, as it will host the final.

The King and the Cup

King Pelé deserves to say goodbye at a World Cup.

But only in 2042, aged 102, after kicking off the game that will celebrate its centenary.

As he promised.

And King’s word does not go back.