ACTUALITE |
31.08.2005
Day of reckoning for Cameroon
by FIFAworldcup.com
The tension is palpable across the whole of Cameroon, and not without reason. The Indomitable Lions must beat Côte d`Ivoire in Abidjan on Sunday or face missing out on a fifth consecutive FIFA World Cup™ finals appearance. Given their recent slip-ups, plus their opponents` unbeaten home record and unbounded motivation, Cameroon`s task could hardly be more tricky. But, of course, nothing frightens a lion.
Some welcome serenity seems to have returned to the Cameroon camp as well, after the controversy stirred up by the publication of two conflicting squad lists. The internet site FECAFOOT unveiled a group of 24 players different to the 22 men faxed to the media by the team`s Portuguese coach Arthur Jorge, but the matter is now forgotten and the squad are preparing for their crunch match in the suburbs of Paris. It is, in fact, the second get-together the country`s federation has organised in the last couple of weeks.
Nor have Cameroon`s sporting authorities stopped there. The call recently went out to legendary players from the team that won the 1984 CAF African Cup of Nations in Côte d`Ivoire and, as a result, Joseph-Antoine Bell, Jean-Paul Akono, Theophile Abega, Bonaventure Djonkep and Francois Oman-Biyick will be making the trip to Abidjan to boost the current side`s morale.
Meanwhile, the press have been asked to prepare the population for the possibility of a heart-wrenching defeat. The message the authorities are keen to spread is that life goes on after the match, whatever the result, and there is clearly a fear of widespread repercussions should the Indomitable Lions fail to qualify for Germany.
Kalla back but Lauren says no
Within the squad itself, the players are confident of being able to pull off a minor miracle in Abidjan, not least because they have far more experience of crunch encounters than the Ivorians. The team have been undergoing the most intense of psychological preparations ahead of the match, with the presence of former international stars among the official delegation, training sessions behind closed doors and so on.
Due to the magnitude of the prize at stake, the technical staff have at last succeeded in calling up a number of former stalwarts who had disappeared off the radar. As a result, powerful defender Raymond Kalla returns to the fray for the first time since the 2002 finals in Korea/Japan. Until now, he had resisted all attempts to persuade him back, but this game proved impossible to resist. And having recently chosen to pursue his club career in Turkey, he looks to have rediscovered his old élan and should form a solid partnership at the back with another highly-experienced campaigner, Rigobert Song.
At the other end of the scale, though, Arsenal defender Lauren continues to stick to his guns despite a visit to London by totemic goalscorer-turned-federation envoy Patrick Mboma. Lauren`s club coach Arsene Wenger has made it clear he has no objection to his right-back returning to the national set-up, but the player himself is not interested, despite threats of suspension from frustrated Cameroonian officials.
Setting a course for qualification
Apart from goalkeeper Idriss Carlos Kameni and Achille Emana, whom Arthur Jorge has elected to leave behind, the entire Cameroon squad is now ready to set a course for Abidjan. And with talented midfielders Modeste Mbami, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Geremi Njitap and Jean Makoun all set to feature, the team`s bountiful riches in the middle of the park look certain to be at the heart of the coach`s strategies.
The tactical battle between two highly-respected trainers in Jorge and Henri Michel could produce a very closed game, with both sides pressing each other high up the pitch in search of a decisive breakthrough. Veterans in this type of scenario, the Cameroon will no doubt be trying to play free from pressure as they attempt to win the physical contest.
And with a fifth straight participation at the global event hanging by a thread, the heirs to the Roger Milla era have just one option – stealing maximum points from under the home side`s noses. A draw is unlikely to be enough, as it would leave them two points behind their opponents with a game left to play. The tournament proper may still be ten months away, but Cameroon will be disputing nothing less than their own FIFA World Cup final on Sunday.
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