ACTUALITE |
28.03.2002
Patrick Suffo scored a late header Wednesday as
African Cup champion Cameroon came back to draw 2-2 with World Cup favorite Argentina in a friendly match.
Argentina lost to the Indomitable Lions 1-0 in their last meeting - in the first round of the 1990 World Cup, when they reached the quarterfinals. Both sides have qualified for this year`s World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan.
"This was our first game after the African Nations Cup and it has been pretty hard to re-motivate the team, but at the World Cup we intend to do even better than we did in 1990," Cameroon`s German trainer Winfried Schaefer said.
The South Americans scored first Wednesday as captain Juan Sebastian Veron struck from the penalty spot, beating Cameroon goalkeeper Boukar Alioum in the 16th minute.
The penalty was awarded by Swiss referee Philippe Leuba after Pablo Aimar had beaten all his defenders and Raymond Kalla committed the foul.
Samuel Eto`o tried to answer swiftly, but his shot went straight into the hands of Argentina keeper German Burgos.
In the 19th minute, however, Eto`o succeeded with a free kick following a foul by Claudio Caniggia on Pius N`diefi.
Aimar gave Argentina the lead again in the 63rd minute, picking up a pass from Caniggia and breaking clear to knock the ball into an open net.
Cameroon nearly equalized in the 85th minute when Rigobert Song`s shot from Njitap Geremy`s corner was just knocked over the bar by the keeper.
But Argentina was not so lucky in the second corner, as Suffo knocked the ball past Burgos.
"We could have won the game or it could have been 4-4. It was a hard game for Argentina to control, particularly because of our speed," Schaefer said.
Cameroon will face three-time World Cup champion Germany, Saudi Arabia and Ireland in the first round while Argentina was drawn into the "Group of Death" with England, Sweden and Nigeria.
The match was played amid a festival atmosphere created by the 7,669 fans from Geneva`s large African and Latin communities.
Lineups:
Argentina - German Burgos; Walter Samuel, Mauricio Pocchetino, Jose Chamot; Juan Pablo Sorin (Diego Placente, 75), Juan Sebastian Veron, Javier Zanetti (Matias Almeyda, 45), Pablo Aimar; Gonzalez Killy, Claudio Caniggia (Santiago Solari, 88), Claudio Piojo Lopez.
Cameroon - Boukar Alioum; Raymond Kalla, Rigobert Song, Bill Tchato; Njitap Geremy, Marc Vivien Foe, Pierre Wome; Salomon Olembe (Kome Ngom, 80), Eric Djemba-Djemba (Joel Epalle, 73); Samuel Eto`o, Pius N`diefi (Patrick Suffo, 70).
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