ACTUALITE |
17.06.2003
Confederations Cup : Lions To Reverse Tide…
The battle gongs will rumble tomorrow at Stade de France in Saint Denis. The Opener Pits New Zealand against Japan at 18 h (Paris time), followed by France versus Colombia at 21 h. In its sixth edition, the Confederations tournament appears to be gaining more weight and attention. At its infancy, Saudi Arabia played host for more than one edition before relinquishing its grip to Mexico, Japan and others. Cameroon made its initial appearance two years ago in the Japan edition. After crumbling at the behest of Brazil and Japan, the Lions picked a good fight with Canada before crashing out. On Thursday at Stade de France, the Indomitable Lions will once more enter the tournament against a reigning Goliath in the discipline. Cameroon versus Brazil evokes reminiscences of a certain Cameroon/Argentina World Cup opener in 1990. The last time the two squads met, in the same tournament was on May 31, 2001 in Japan. The Brazilians carried the day with a 2-0 bashing of the Lions. In the up coming hurdle, the Lions are not expected to be battered twice by the same team, and in similar circumstances.
Turkey will be the Lions’ second opponent in the upcoming competition. On paper, oddmakers tip the Turks favourites, given that in the last World Cup, the team secured an enviable third position in the final placing. In the past three years, Turkish football has witnessed great improvements at national and club level in Europe. Top strikers in Umit Davala, Hassan Sas and Nihat Kahveri are rated among the emerging talents in the world capable of rattling many defence structures. The Cameroon versus Turkey hurdle has been slated for Stade de France on Saturday June 21. The third outing for the Lions brings them eyeball-to-eyeball with an emerging football hurricane — the United States of America. The boys of Bruce Arena continue to widen the frontiers of the football realm. The encounter has been billed for Lyon on Monday June 24. It will be the last match of phase one of the competition. The outcome of the three outings of the Lions will determine their qualification for phase two which includes the semis and the final. Playing in a group that includes a world mover and shaker in the discipline, and two other determined teams, the Lions have to dig deep into their repertoire of brain and brawn to hold their own.
Headcoach Winfred Schafer appears to have taken the upcoming competition as a personal challenge inspite of the defection of Etame Meyer and Patrick Mboma. New blood has been brought into the Squad to fill the vacuum and add more spices to a menu that may have become too familiar. The Lions enter the competition on Thursday after watching two hurdles tomorrow that will somehow give them a barometre reading of the pulse of the environment. Coming on the heels of a sterling performance by the Under 17 Lions in the Cup of Nations, the performances of the Senior Lions will be an object of intense scrutiny. After crashing out of phase one of the Japan/Korea World Cup, the Indomitable Lions now have an opportunity to make amends, roar back into their rightful position that was somehow highjacket by another Lion from the same Continent. It is evident that the quality of preparations for the upcoming event leaves a sour taste in expert months. Since the taste of the pudding is determined in the process of eating, the Lion has to awake and pull the rug off the feet of those with the favours of bookmakers.
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