As Sven Goran Eriksson prepares to meet his World Cup destiny in the shape of Argentina this summer, he has every reason to be concerned.

He should not, however, be at all afraid. In many quarters, Marcelo Bielsa's team are already being spoken of as World champions-elect.

Anybody who saw them play in the cramped surroundings of Geneva's Stade des Charmilles last night would be considerably more circumspect. As is clear from Bielsa's squad list, the South Americans have some technical quality that would be the envy of every coach in world football, with the possible exception of France's Roger Lemerre.

To see England's Group F rivals play, however, is to observe crucial and fundamental weaknesses that may yet betray them when the pressure cranks up in the Far East this summer.

This meeting with Cameroon may only have been a friendly, designed to aid preparation for their June 2 clash with Nigeria in Ibaraki and, as such, conclusions must be measured.

But in drawing with the African Nations Cup holders last night, Argentina exhibited the same frailties that troubled them when they drew 1-1 with Wales in Cardiff last month - namely a susceptibility to aerial deliveries and a tendency to concede unnecessary free-kicks.

To England coach Eriksson and his captain David Beckham, such analysis must sound like the sweetest music.

Bielsa's team have conceded three goals in their last two outings. All have been scored from headers - one of them to Newcastle's Craig Bellamy - and that tells a story.

For all their attacking verve and creativity, Argentina concede a staggering number of free-kicks. They then defend them naively.

Cameroon's gangling striker Fils Eto'o was first to profit last night as he rose unchallenged at the far post to equalise Juan Sebastian Veron's 17th-minute penalty.

And just as Argentina seemed certain to earn victory on the back of Pablo Aimar's sensational second-half goal, Sheffield United's transfer-listed striker Patrick Suffo rose above goalkeeper German Burgos at a corner to earn his team deserved parity with three minutes remaining.

As well as that, Marc Vivien Foe headed against the crossbar with the game goalless and Rigobert Song brought a fine save from Burgos with a header just before his team's second goal.

It is clearly not coincidence and the dark, sulking Bielsa ought to be even more worried than he generally appears. In other departments last night, Argentina were, at times, devastatingly impressive. They took this game seriously and some of their football was deserving of a grander stage.

The key to much of their bewitching attacking play is the fluidity of their 4-2-1-3 formation. With Veron and Javier Zanetti forming the base of the midfield, it is left to Valencia's Aimar to act as safe-breaker behind the front three.

Argentina's answer to Paul Scholes, the diminutive Aimar may currently be known only to followers of Arsenal and Manchester United and to the more diligent observers of the Champions League. But by the end of June, the 21-year-old may well be the vision who appears in every England supporter's nightmares.

Last night, his influence was beyond measure and the goal he scored midway through the second period an absolute picture.

Only four seconds or so passed between the moment Veron headed clear a free-kick on the edge of his own penalty area and that which saw the galloping Aimar lift the ball over Cameroon goal-keeper Boukar Alioum.

But that was all it took for the breaking Claudio Lopez to feed Claudio Caniggia and the Rangers forward to split the retreating defence of the Africans with a first-time pass.

It was the moment that lit up the evening and one that will trouble Eriksson most as he studies the video of an absorbing match.

It is hard to imagine that any team in the summer's tournament will present Eriksson with a tactical puzzle quite like this one and Argentina will perhaps examine the rigidity of the Swede's 4-4-2 system like no other.