ACTUALITE |
04.06.2002
Schafer looks for more polished finish against Saudis
FUJIYOSHIDA
Cameroon coach Winfried Schafer said here Monday he was going to concentrate on his African champions finishing prowess prior to their second Group E match against Saudi Arabia in Saitama on Thursday.
The German, who guided them to their second successive African title earlier this year, blamed their 1-1 draw against Ireland on Saturday on a mixture of jetlag and poor finishing and said the former would have disappeared by matchday - but the latter needed urgent attention.
The players had already complained after Saturday`s match that they were tired of having to travel long distances by bus which only added to their fury at spending four days in getting to Japan owing to a dispute over bonuses and then an extended stay in Bangkok because they did not have permission to fly over several countries.
"We`ll be in better physical shape come the match with the Saudis but I feel that if the players had taken their chances in the Irish match we would have been celebrating a second successive African win (Senegal having beaten France)," the former Karlsruhe coach said.
"The longer than planned trip really took it out of the players but the shooting on goal was not good enough.
"The result against Ireland in the end was a fair one but not indicative of our real strength," he added.
Schafer insisted the `Indomitable Lions` would be a different proposition against the Saudis, though he added their opponents wouldn`t be as supine as the side that were thrashed 8-0 by Germany.
"Things will be different on Thursday against Saudi Arabia," he said.
"However Saudi Arabia should not be underestimated and they will be looking to make up for their opening defeat and will come out fighting.
"You can`t judge them on their match against the Germans and I think they will try to play more aggressively - it won`t be the same kind of match as theirs was on Saturday," he added.
Fiery striker Patrick Suffo said their below-par performance against Ireland had been an accident and would be corrected against the Saudis.
"Last Saturday was an accident but on Thursday we will really show what we are capable of," said the 24-year-old Suffo, who was sacked by his English league club Sheffield United last season after being one of three players sent-off against West Brom in the so-called `battle of Bramall Lane`.
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