Yokohama, Japan, September 29, 2018 – Mexico are facing Cameroon for the first time to open the 2018 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in Japan.
Head-to-Head
• Mexico and Cameroon will face each other for the first time at the World Championship.
• It will also be the first time these two teams meet each other at world major level.
• World level major competitions are: Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World Grand Prix, Grand Champions Cup and Nations League.
• Mexico have won their two matches against African teams at the World Championship - 3-0 against Algeria in 1978, and 3-0 versus Nigeria in 1982.
• Mexico's last match against an African side at a major tournament was against Algeria (3-0 win) at the 2017 World Grand Prix.
• Cameroon have lost their three matches against NORCECA teams at World Championship - 3-0 against Puerto Rico and 3-0 versus United States in 2006, and 3-1 against Canada in 2014.
• Cameroon only win against a NORCECA team at a world major competition was the 3-2 win against Trinidad and Tobago at the 2017 World Grand Prix.
Mexico• Mexico are playing in their eighth World Championship, and for the fourth in the last five tournaments - 2002, 2006, 2014, 2018.
• Mexico's best result was a 10th place finish in 1974. They finished in joint-last position in 2002, 2006 and 2014.
• Since the start of the 2002 World Championship, Mexico have lost all of their 15 matches at the World Championship. Their last win was a 3-2 victory against West Germany in 1982.
• Mexico twice started their World Championship campaign with a win - in 1970 against Netherlands, and in 1974 versus Bahamas.
• Mexico won their last match at world major level, against Algeria 3-0 at the World Grand Prix in 2017.
Cameroon• Cameroon will make its third appearance at the World Championship, after 2006 and 2014.
• They lost all of their previous 10 matches in this competition, of which nine defeats came in straight sets.
• Cameroon avoided a straight-sets loss against Canada in 2014 (3-1).
• Cameroon and Kenya, Africa's other participant in 2018, could become the first African sides in history to win a match at the World Championship.
• Cameroon's last appearance in a major world level tournament was in the 2017 World Grand Prix. They had a W3-L3 record at this World Grand Prix, including two wins in their last two matches.
• Cameroon won the final of the African championship against Kenya (3-0) in 2017.