African champions Cameroon and Asian Cup winners Australia drew 1-1 in their Confederations Cup Group B match in St. Petersburg – a result that leaves both sides' chances of reaching the knockout stages hanging by a thread.
At the end of a first half that was entertaining but largely lacking in clear-cut chances, Cameroon struck in added time when midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa latched on to a long ball over the top and lifted the ball over stranded Aussie keeper Maty Ryan.
That gave the Indomitable Lions a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
Australia started much more brightly in the second half, and got the equalizer their improvement merited when captain Mark Milligan scored from the spot after the VAR (Video Assistance Referee) confirmed that 20-year-old defender Alex Gersbach had been brought down in the box.
Cameroon pressed for a winner and arguably looked the likelier to score, although they failed to make the breakthrough they needed in front of just over 35,000 fans at Saint Petersburg Stadium.
The result leaves both teams on one point, ahead of the game between Group B rivals Germany and Chile in Kazan.
READ MORE: Germany v Chile: Group B favorites meet in eagerly-awaited Kazan match-up
In reality, while the Socceroos and Indomitable Lions can both still mathematically reach the knockout stages, they face an uphill struggle as they move on to face Chile and Germany respectively in their final group games on Sunday.