Holland maintain perfect record

Robin van Persie
12 April 2012

Holland made it three wins from as many Group E matches with a 2-1 victory in their dead rubber against Cameroon in Cape Town.

With Holland already through to the last 16 and Cameroon out, it took Robin van Persie's 36th-minute flash of inspiration to get things going.

Samuel Eto'o's second-half penalty levelled matters until substitute Klaas Jan Huntelaar's 82nd-minute winner continued the group winners' momentum heading into a second round clash with Slovakia.

Holland boss Bert van Marwijk opted not to risk starting with Arjen Robben, who is yet to feature due to a hamstring problem, while Van Persie and Nigel de Jong were included despite being a booking away from suspension.

Rafael van der Vaart dragged one wide for the Dutch early on and Cameroon's Aurelien Chedjou fired a weak effort at Maarten Stekelenburg.

Dirk Kuyt picked up a needless booking before Van Persie could only fire straight at Hamidou Souleymanou after brilliantly setting himself up by chesting down Giovanni van Bronckhorst's chip forward. In the 31st minute Cameroon midfielder Jean Makoun headed over from Geremi's cross before Kuyt dragged one wide for Holland.

Finally the crowd had something to cheer after 35 minutes when Van Persie opened the scoring, playing a neat one-two with Van der Vaart before firing between Souleymanou's legs.

After five minutes of the second half Mark van Bommel played a nice sweeping ball forward for Van Persie which his colleague wastefully hit at the goalkeeper.

Cameroon were handed a 64th-minute penalty by referee Pablo Pozo when Van der Vaart raised his arm to block Geremi's free-kick, receiving a booking for his trouble. Captain Eto'o kept his nerve to convert a perfect spot-kick.

But Bayern Munich winger Robben emerged from the bench to make a decisive impact. He cut inside and fired a trademark left-footed shot which hit the post and fell to Huntelaar who obliged from close range.

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