By Matthew Abbott

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Bryan Mbeumo faces the prospect of featuring in must-win World Cup play-offs this autumn as Cameroon appear increasingly unlikely to win their group and qualify automatically. The Indomitable Lions were unbeaten across their first seven match, but have now lost their eighth to Cape Verde. Hellas Verona forward Dailon Livramento scored the game’s only goal after firing past Andre Onana after first dispossessing Carlos Baleba . Cameroon are four points adrift of their most recent opponents in Group D despite beating them 4-1 at home last summer. Despite also drawing 0-0 at home to Angola, Cape Verde have won their other six qualifiers. Cameroon, in contrast, have drawn three times, away to Angola, Eswatini and Libya. The latter two are Cape Verde’s remaining opponents, and beating either would secure their place at next year’s tournament in North America. That would mean Cameroon must finish as one of the four best-ranked runners-up who advance to the second round. They are currently fifth on goal difference, but just one point separates second and seventh. They must earn enough points to reach the second round from fixtures away to Mauritius and at home to Angola. Doing so would see them through to a four-team play-off consisting of a semi-final and potentially a final in November. Should they advance again, Cameroon would have to win another two matches in March during the inter-confederation play-offs if they are to qualify. Such a situation would be far from ideal for Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim . Mbeumo faces the possibility of two high-stakes fortnights while on international duty, in which every match would be a must-win for them. It is also effectively three consecutive international windows, as Cameroon is still far from assured of advancing further as one of the best runners-up. That is despite the World Cup expanding to include 48 teams. Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis, then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .