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Lions : Tackling the Equatorial Guinea Equation (06.10.2006)
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will tomorrow, Saturday, face the Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea in one of the Group Five matches of the second playing day of the qualifiers for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana. The encounter is of utmost importance to both teams which won their first matches. Cameroon beat Rwanda 3 — 0, while Equatorial Guinea defeated Liberia 2 — 1. The winner of next Saturday’s match will distance itself from the other teams in the group.
Fans of the Indomitable Lions expect nothing but victory from their team tomorrow. In effect, this will be the first reunion of the Indomitable Lions and their fans after the show down of October 8th, 2005 when they failed to pick their qualification for the World Cup at the Yaounde Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium. The Lions, who will be playing without ace striker, Samuel Eto’o Fils, who is recovering from his injury of last week, would have to avoid mistakes of the past. This is more so becuase the Equatoial Guinean team is on an upward mobility, seeking to make a name on the African continent. The granting of the hosting rights for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations to the Equatorial Guinea and Gabon has also given the central African nation new ambitions in football. Their good start of the eliminatories, beating Libreia 2- 1 is a clear warning to potential opponents.
It is therefore with a lot of caution that the Lions will be taking on the Nzalang Nacionale. Memories are still fresh in our mind of how the Lions had to pay dearly for the superiority complex which they adopted during the first phase of the joint eliminatories of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup. The series of draws recorded with teams which could have been beaten weighed heavily on them during the second phase of the competition.
Today, however, one can rightly say the Lions have learnt their lesson the hard way. Defeats and set backs have made the team to be more realistic. Captain Song and his mates know they are today vulnerable and can be challenged by any team in Africa, even yesterday’s underdogs. It is for these reasons that the Lions have given their all to prepare for
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tomorrow’s match. True, the Indomitable Lions began the 2008 eliminatories on a good foot with a 3 — 1 spanking of the Wasps of Rwanda in Kigali. But rather than rely on this past glory, Coach Arie Haan’s boys must face each match with the greatest concentration. Proof of this is the seriousness of the players since their arrival in Yaounde.
Today, the public will be informed on the state of the team 24 hours to the encounter. This will be during a press briefing to be granted by some players, members of the technical squad and the medical staff. Team captain, Rigobert Song and his assistant, Geremi Njitap will delve on the moral of the squad as they face their public one year after the debacle of October 8th 2006 when they missed their qualification for the World Cup in front of the fans in Yaounde. Without devling into his tactics for the game, head coach, Arie Haan, will give assess the talents at his disposal, while chief medical doctor, Atchou Guillaume, talk on the health situation of the players.
In effect, training for tomorrow’s match began last Tuesday afternoon. Since then, the team has been having two training sessions each day at the Yaounde Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium, with fans turning out in their numbers to cheer the boys. But unlike the training sessions which were open to the public for free, spectators will have to pay to watch tomorrow’s match. The gate fees range from CFA 500 to CFA 20,000. The tariffs are as follows: CFA 20,000 for the Presidential Tribune, CFA 3,000 for the "Tribune d’Honneur", CFA 1,500 for Tribune A and B and CFA 500 for the popular side. Only those in possession of an invitation card will have access to the Presidential Lodge.
Tomorrow’s match will also offer an opportunity for the committee for the fight against HIV/AIDS of the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education to sensitise the public on the dangers of the killer disease. Highlights of the sensitisation campaign will be free voluntary screening against HIV/AIDS at the esplanade of the Yaounde Omnisport stadium in the day of the match, that is Saturday. The Lions will also make a declaration on HIV/AIDS prior to kick off of the encounter.
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