Italy's goalless draw with Cameroon looks like one of the more meaningless midweek World Cup warm-up games, especially given the experimental nature of the respective line-ups.

But the occasion may prove a hugely significant one for Bari central defender Leonardo Bonucci who made his debut in Monte Carlo.

Bonucci, 22, partnered Fabio Cannavaro and Giorgio Chiellini in the Italian defence and looked comfortable in such company, helping to keep the opposition's main threat Samuel Eto'o quiet.

"I am living a dream and I hope it continues until the World Cup," Bonucci told Sky Sport Italia, who compared the youngster with the legendary Giuseppe Bergomi.

"The comparison with Bergomi is nice, but I don't want to think about it."

Fortunately, Bonucci relied on his football to do the talking, rather than his rather bland post-match interview, and he was the undoubted success story of the evening.

Playing a 3-4-3 formation against the African side, coach Marcello Lippi recalled AC Milan striker Marco Borriello for the first time in almost two years, with the 27-year-old winning his fifth cap alongside debutant Andrea Cossu of Cagliari and Udinese captain Antonio Di Natale.

And so, while the reigning world champions ground out a rather dour goalless draw, it was an evening which the coach insisted proved extremely useful as he starts thinking about the final squad he will name for South Africa.

"It was a very useful match," said Lippi. "It was useful because we had a chance to have a look at a couple of the younger guys who haven't been involved before. Cossu and Bonucci were confident and showed personality, so it was definitely useful."

"It has been a useful game and this is what counts. Bonucci and Cossu were making their debuts. They did very well, and this is important. I reiterate that it was a useful game. Did we struggle in attack? Well, let's not forget that we have seven top-level players missing tonight."

Ultimately, the big winner of the evening does appear to have been Bonucci who, after failing to make the grade with Inter, has now hit the heights of international football via loan spells with Treviso and Pisa and, now, Bari.

"I am not disappointed that I never stayed at Inter," said the defender who is now being tipped for a squad place in South Africa. "If I remained then I wouldn't have made the Nazionale."