ACTUALITE |
22.12.2003
Cameroon defeat Mali in Olympic qualifier
Martin Etonge
The Olympic team of Cameroon have opened up a wide gap on the top of the African group B Athens Olympic qualification round thanks to a 2-0 home win over Mali.
With a goal in each half, the victory enabled Cameroon to have six points, three ahead of any other side in the group that includes Cote D’Ivoire and Congo DR.
Mali arrived in Yaounde barely six hours to the game and the coach opted very fast for a defensive game. So Cameroon did all of the attacking, while Mali waited for crucial counter attack moves. And it became difficult for the goals to come for Cameroon.
The crowd started expressing their disappointment with the foreign legion of Cameroon players, led by skipper Eric Djemba Djemba of Manchester United.
Fortunately for the team, striker Daniel Wansi headed in a lose ball during first half stoppage time for the curtain raiser.
With increase effort and better skills from Djemba after resumption, Cameroon improved on their game. Thanks to strikers Diallo Mamadou and Abouta Janvier, Mali too stepped up a gear.
Cameroon managed to keep the advantage and were rewarded at the 55th minute with a second goal. Alain Webo from Osasuna, Spain headed in a rebound.
For Jean Paul Akono, coach of Cameroon, the essential was to win. “It was not an easy game though the Malians were tired. They put up a good defense, but we had the victory which enables us to continue the Athens eliminatory with some degree of calmness”, he said.
Mali’s coach, Kone, accepted defeat cheerfully, but regretted that the refereeing was not up to standard. ”We have lost a battle, not the war. So we continue to work hard with the hope of winning the other games”, Kone added.
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