World Cup 2014: Player profile - who is Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, the Cameroon forward?

Counting down the 100 players to look out for in Brazil this summer

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting of Cameroon in action against the Netherlands

The World Cup in Brazil is coming into view and everyone is hoping this summer's carnival can take its place among some of the great tournaments of the past, but who will be the star of the show?

With 81 days to go until things kick-off, check out our latest instalment of 100 players to look out for at the competition below.

81. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon)

Cameroon might be a little wary of placing too much expectation on Samuel Eto’o in the twilight of his career: the 33-year-old captain still has a keen eye for goal, but his creaking shoulders can no longer carry the all-round burden he once bore for his country. One man who could help lighten the load is Mainz’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. Tall, rapid and direct, with superb dribbling skills, the Berlin-born forward is the kind of player who can cause havoc to opposition defences on his day. Choupo-Moting is often deployed as a winger for Cameroon, who crave the width he provides, but he has a happy knack of scoring goals from wide positions, with an impressive haul of nine goals from his 23 games so far. He might not be the biggest beast in the squad, but Choupo-Moting could be the pride of the Indomitable Lions this summer.

Did you know? As a child, Choupo-Moting had a poster of Cameroon team-mate Samuel Eto’o on his bedroom wall.