Man Utd facing Bryan Mbeumo blow with double showdown on horizon

Bryan Mbeumo is staring down the barrel of must-win World Cup play-offs this autumn, as Cameroon's chances of automatic qualification dwindle. The Indomitable Lions, who were unbeaten in their first seven matches, suffered a defeat in their eighth game against Cape Verde.

Hellas Verona forward Dailon Livramento netted the only goal of the match, dispossessing Carlos Baleba and firing past Andre Onana. Cameroon now trail their recent opponents by four points in Group D, despite a 4-1 victory at home last summer. Cape Verde, on the other hand, have won six of their qualifiers, drawing 0-0 at home to Angola.

In contrast, Cameroon have drawn three times, away to Angola, Eswatini and Libya.

These latter two are Cape Verde's remaining opponents, and a win against either would secure their spot in next year's tournament in North America.

This means Cameroon must finish as one of the four best-ranked runners-up to advance to the second round.

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Currently fifth on goal difference, they are just one point behind the teams ranked second to seventh.

To reach the second round, they need to accumulate enough points from fixtures away to Mauritius and at home to Angola.

Success would see them through to a four-team play-off, consisting of a semi-final and potentially a final in November.

If they progress further, Cameroon will need to win another two matches in March during the inter-confederation play-offs to qualify.

This scenario would be far from perfect for Manchester United's head coach Ruben Amorim, as Mbeumo could potentially face two intense fortnights of international duty.

Moreover, it's essentially three back-to-back international windows, with Cameroon's progression still uncertain despite the World Cup's expansion to 48 teams.