Thursday, May 20, 2010

INDOMITABLE ?





Africa’s most successful side at the World cup will be looking to make the best out of the first world cup on African soil (as we don’t expect it back anytime soon). They are the Cameroun national football team currently ranked number 1 on the continent and look most likely to be the best representative of the continent. They narrowly missed out on the last edition in Germany and made sure they didn’t make any of such errors in this qualification campaign. Their performance in the last 3 editions has been dismal putting it nicely, winning only one of their nine games against a hapless and hopeless Saudi Arabia in 2002. Their best outing at the world cup was in Italy 20 years ago defying all odds to reach the quarter finals with victories over Argentina, Colombia and the then Soviet Union. This team feels like one with the strength to match or even better that performance (they should at least improve on the disappointing performances in the last 3 editions to qualify for the second round).

At the beginning of their qualification run, Cameroun lost a game and drew the next to Togo and Morocco respectively, they were lying bottom of the group containing the inform Gabon. They had the manager Otto Phister replaced by former Rangers, PSG, and Lyon manager, Paul Leguen. They were billed for a double header against a rampant Gabonese side unbeaten in their last 6 games. Some form of luck finally went their way but it came in the form of sorrow for the Gabonese, the game in Gabon had to be postponed because of the death of the Gabonese president, this was like a rain delay in Wimbledon. When the games were re-scheduled, the Cameroonians came out all guns blazing beating Gabon home and away and carrying over this form to win the remainder of their games and qualify for the world cup. The goals from Samuel Eto’o and Achille Emana were instrumental to this incredible run of wins. In a not so difficult group at the mundial the indomitable lions should have enough firepower in their arsenal to advance into the second round of the world cup.

As it has been for the past few years the inspiration from their captain the baby faced assassin Samuel Eto’o. He has come of age after his last appearance in 2002 playing some good football and scoring even better goals in Spain and now in Italy. His goals will be crucial to a good outing in South Africa. The Tottenham Hotspurs defensive pairing of Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastian Bassong should bring some cohesiveness at the back with the support of a youthful and strong midfield comprised of the likes of Alex Song and Jean Makoun. Others to watch will be the skillful Betis attacking midfielder Achille Emana and the Espanyol goalkeeper Idris Kameni.
With so many strong players, a weak point in this team is that of the players who should be at home retired. Geremi Njitap and Rigobert Song who claim to be in their early 30’s play like men who were called back from retirement in their 40’s. This is not good for the team and in this year’s CAN, they showed this weakness can be easily exploited by pacy attackers. I’m sure Paul Leguen will have a solution to this problem, he has shown us that any player can be dropped to the bench, I just think it will be more profitable to the team in general if younger players were given the chance to experience the world cup rather than give the old, tamed lions another chance, oh well this is just my 2 kobo it’s all up to Mr. Leguen.

Paul Leguen has favoured the 4-3-3 style of play and looks to still continue with this judging from the players he has selected in his provisional squad of 30 players. He picked 3 home based players which is something that hasn’t been done in such a long time in Cameroonian football. He also imported 2 German born players to bolster his squad. Soon enough we will see how many of these new young players called up will be on the plane to South Africa.

They are grouped with world cup regulars Denmark, Japan and the Netherlands, stiff competition on paper but a very realistic chance of qualification as long as they get their acts right. They will be playing against some very pacy and dangerous attackers, some of the best in the world and cannot afford to show the same defensive frailties they did in Angola in January.

My Verdict: the indomitable lions will come out of this group. I agree with the pundits saying they will have a very good outing at the world cup; I like the look of their squad with a very good balance of youth and experience (except our two grandpas) and tip them to even make it through to the semifinals.

Below is the 30 man provisional squad selected recently by Paul Leguen.

Goalkeepers: Hamidou Souleymanou (Kayserispor, Turkey), Idris Carlos Kameni (Espanyol, Spain), Guy Roland NDY Assembe (Valenciennes, France), Amour Patrick Tignyemb (Bloemfontein Celtic, South Africa)

Defenders: Jean Patrick Abouna Ndzana (Les Astres FC de Douala, Cameroon), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur, England), Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham Hotspur), Gaetan Bong (Valenciennes,), Aurelien Chedjou (Lille, France), Geremi Njitap (MKE Ankaragucu, Turkey), Stephane Mbia (Olympique Marseille, France), Makadji Boukar (Al Nahdha Club, Oman), Nicolas Nkoulou (AS Monaco, France), Rigobert Song (Trapzonspor, Turkey)

Midfielders: Marcel Ndjeng (Augsburg, Germany), Eyong Takang Enoh (Ajax, Netherlands), Jean II Makoun (Olympique Lyon, France), Georges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern – Germany), Joel Matip (Schalke 04,Germany),Patrick Mevoungou (Canon Sportif de Yaounde, Cameroon), Landry Nguemo (Celtic Glasgow, Scotland), Alexandre Song (Arsenal, England)

Attackers: Vincent Aboubakar (Coton Sport FC de Garoua, Cameroon), Eric Choupo-Moting (Nuremburg, Germany), Achille Emana (Real Betis, Spain), Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan, Italy), Mohamadou Idrissou (Freiburg, Germany), Rostard Dorge Kouemaha (Bruges, Belgium), Achille Webo (Mallorca, Spain), Jacques Zoua (Basel, Switzerland)

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