Australia sit 18 places above Cameroon in the world rankings
Cameroon have named 16 players in their squad with five caps or fewer
Recommended bet: Australia win to nil
Australia will step up their preparations for this summer's World Cup when they take on a Cameroon side perhaps still reeling from their own failure to qualify, in an international friendly at Sydney's Accor Stadium on Friday (KO 9.10am).
The Socceroos qualified for a sixth successive World Cup with the minimum of fuss and they have been drawn alongside hosts the United States, Paraguay and one of the UEFA play-off winners in Group D at the finals.
Cameroon will have to watch this summer's showpiece from afar after missing out on qualification, but a run to the quarter-finals of the recent Africa Cup of Nations will have restored some belief under new head coach David Pagou.
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Team news
Australia captain and goalkeeper Mathew Ryan looks set to earn his 102nd cap on Friday, which would move him to within seven of the Socceroos' record appearance maker Mark Schwarzer.
There are plenty of familiar names in Tony Popovic's squad, including Swansea defender Cameron Burgess, Hibernian forward Martin Boyle and midfielder Riley McGree, who has been playing a key role in Middlesbrough's push towards promotion from the Championship.
Cameroon will be without forward Bryan Mbeumo, who has withdrawn from the squad as a precaution after being substituted in Manchester United's draw at Bournemouth last Friday.
There is a very inexperienced look to Pagou's squad, with 12 uncapped players having been included, while only goalkeeper Devis Epassy (15) and defenders Jackson Tchatchoua (14) and Darlin Yongwa (13) have made more than 10 appearances for the Indomitable Lions.
The latest Australia vs Cameroon odds are available on LiveScore
The stats
Australia have made it to a seventh World Cup and will be making their sixth appearance in a row at the finals having last failed to qualify for the 2002 edition.
The Socceroos qualified for the World Cup after finishing second in their group behind Japan.
Cameroon missed out on a ninth World Cup finals appearance after losing to DR Congo in a play-off.
The Indomitable Lions reached the quarter-finals of the recent Africa Cup of Nations where they were eliminated by Morocco.
This will be just the second ever meeting between Australia and Cameroon, with their only previous head-to-head coming in the group stage of the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017, a match that finished 1-1.
This match forms part of the FIFA Series 2026 in Australia which also involves Curacao and China.
The latest Australia vs Cameroon odds are available on LiveScore
Prediction
These two teams are at different stages in their development, with Australia honing their skills in preparation for the World Cup and Cameroon starting a new cycle following their failure to qualify and subsequent efforts at AFCON.
That has been reflected in their squad selections, with the Socceroos going strong and their visitors naming an experimental travelling party lacking the big names of Mbeumo, Carlos Baleba and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
With no real experience in the squad, Cameroon could be overpowered by an Australian team who are not lacking in that department, although scoring goals may not be so easy, as Popovic's team have netted more than once in only one of their last six internationals.
Of the current Cameroon squad, Christian Kofane with three is the only player to have scored multiple times for his country, so this could end in a low-scoring win for Australia, who should also be able to keep a clean sheet.
Back Australia to win to nil at 13/8 with LiveScore Bet
The latest Australia vs Cameroon odds are available on LiveScore
