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Preview: Cameroon – Zambia (17.01.2010)
The second group D match of tomorrow will have the Indomitable Lions and the Chipolopolo square off in Lubango.
Cameroon will have to really start their competition
To say the least, the opening-day loss to Gabon was not a great sign of the team’s new-found focus. The shocker is so far the biggest shocker of the competition as the four-time AFCON winners just effortlessly defeated the same opponents twice in September. But Cameroon fell victim once again to Alain Giresse’s players and their relentless motivation and will to make their countrymen proud.
On the other hand, Cameroon’s performance or lack thereof started a debate amongst us all to now whether World Cup-tied teams like the Ivory Coast and Cameroon really cared about the African Cup of Nations. Whatever the answer to that question is, Cameroon’s complacent attitude and obvious lack of respect for “lesser” opponents was an embarrassment to them all.
One of the only reason the Cameroonians haven’t received any vehement criticism from the National media as of yet lays in the fact that Cameroon tends to not start competitions very well (during the 2008 AFCON, they were destroyed 4-2 by the same team they would face in the Final of that edition, Egypt). The lesson of Wednesday’s game remains that Paul Le Guen’s new-look Cameroon team does not have the pride or the character of Otto Pfister’s version, which would have at least pretended to fight the good fight instead of renouncing one-hour into the match.
Oddly enough for such a team, most of the blame went to Samuel Eto’o. The superstar striker didn’t have a great game. Not even a good game for that matter, far from it, but the Cameroonian media never used to target the captain of the Indomitable. So it came as quite a shock when his performance and lack of success against the Gabonese defensive organisation was so harshly described in a few editorials.
Now in order to keep their chances alive, Cameroon will have to win big against the Chipolopolos who managed to get a draw against Tunisia on Wednesday.
Zambia or the ability to strive in chaos.
While all we were focusing on while covering Zambia before the African Cup of Nations was the internal problems in the selection, disciplinary mainly. We all remember a month ago asking if Kalusha Bwalya’s heir apparent Clifford Mulenga would be included in the 23 man squad of the Chipolopolos after French coach Herve Renard voiced doubts over Mulenga’s willingness to keep his night antics to a minimum during a month-long competition.
Once the problems with the 2007 African Young Player of the Year were over with Renard finally choosing to bring the young phenom with him in Angla, the team’s offensive problems were highlighted and seemingly impossible to surpass. A team that only scored four goals in ten qualifying games seemed unable t go very far in a competition.
But Renard’s philosophy of term first may have just started raking in its fruits. With an exceptional (the word is the adequate one) first half against Tunisia, the Copper Bullets showed everyone that they were not in Angola to participate and that Renard’s voiced objective to reach the quarterfinals is not so far-fetched. the duo of James Chamanga and Jacob Mulenga were far better than anything they have shown during the joint qualifiers.
The term surprise for the Zambians is an understatement ad they could very well try and succeed in keeping the Cameroonians scoreless as their organisation is even better structured than the Gabonese defense. Their restless effort to cover one another could prove problematic for the Indomitable Lions.
TEAM NEWS
Cameroon
Coming back from injury according to the local press Stephane M’bia is sure to make the starting XI if he is healthy enough. The duo of Jean II Makoun and Landry Nguemo lack a few pounds and a few centimetres to them both to impose themselves even if their technical superiority is undisputed. M’bia could bring some much needed dominance to the midfield, that will help.
Paul Le
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Guen, who was uncharacteristically smiling after the Gabon game knows well that his future at the helm of the Indomitable Lions (and therefore his coaching the four-time African champs in South Africa this summer) i tied to the team’s performance in Angola. He will without a doubt make changes and the only player that will without a doubt play up top is the captain, Samuel Eto’o. Achille Emana’s performance could be punished as the Real Betis was a caricature of his former self against Gabon.
Goalkeepers: Carlos Kameni (Espanyol), Hamidou Souleymanou (Kayserispor), Guy N’Dy Assembe (Valenciennes)
Defenders: Rigobert Song (Trabzonspor), Geremi (Newcastle United), Henri Bedimo (Chateauroux), Andre Bikey (Burnley), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur) Aurelien Chedjou (Lille), Nicolas N’koulou (AS Monaco)
Midfielders: Alex Song (Arsenal), Jean Makoun (Lyon), Stephane M’bia (Marseille), Georges Mandjeck (1. FC Kaiserslautern), Joel Matip (Schalke 04), Eyong Enoh (Ajax), Landry N’guemo (Celtic), Achille Emana (Real Betis Sevilla), Somen A Tchoyi (Red Bull Salzburg)
Attackers: Paul Alo’o Efloulou (AS Nancy), Achille Webo (Real Mallorca), Mohamadou Idrissou (SC Freiburg), Samuel Eto’o (Internazionale)
Zambia
Aside from any eventual injuries we still haven’t heard of, it would be highly unlikely that any changes would be made by Herve Renard. The French Coach will definitely
try to reiterate the type of performance his team had against another superior squad, Tunisia.
Goalkeepers: Kennedy Mweene (Free State Stars, South Africa), Kalililo Kakonje (Amazulu, South Africa), Jacob Banda (Zesco United)
Defenders: Dennis Banda (Green Buffaloes), Kampamba Chintu (Amazulu, South Africa), Hichani Himoonde (Zesco United), Emmanuel Mbola (Pyunik Yerevan, Armenia), Joseph Musonda (Lamontville Golden Arrows, South Africa), Thomas Nyirenda (Zanaco)
Midfielders: Isaac Chansa (Helsingborg, Sweden), Noah Chivuta (Maritzburg United, South Africa), Rainford Kalaba (União de Leiria, Portugal),Francis Kasonde (Al Suwaiq, Oman), Felix Katongo (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Clifford Mulenga (Mpumalanga Black Aces, South Africa), Stophira Sunzu (Zanaco), William Njobvu ((Hapoel Kiryat Shmone, Israel)
Strikers: Christopher Katongo (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany), Jacob Mulenga (FC Utrecht, Netherlands), Emmanuel Mayuka (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel), James Chamanga (Dalian Shide, China), Given Singuluma (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Collins Mbesuma (Moroka Swallows,South Africa)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cameroon
Samuel Eto’o is the captain of the team and therefore will need to be the leader of the team. Everybody knows he is capable of it, he will have to show it. Added to the fact that he’s been the main target of a lot of criticism, the Inter Milan player will have at heart to show his countrymen that he takes this competition just as seriously as he does the World Cup the way he’s proclaimed before. The best goalscorer in the history of the competition can better his record against Zambia and we best just believe he will.
Zambia
The duo of Jacob Mulenga and James Chamanga are impressive. But are they impressive enough to take on veteran Rigobert Song and newcomer Nicolas N’koulou? We’ll have to watch and see how they fare now that they will obviously be targets of the Cameroonians. The China-based Chamanga is one of the best finisher in the competition and his main goal is to prove his worth.
PREDICTION
If these first games showed us something, it is that favourites have not been well and outsiders are playing way beyond anything we might have imagined. But if Cameroon wants any shot at going through, they Will have to win or just pack up their things and go home. So out best bet is to believe that a squad like Cameroon won’t be leaving Angola without a fight. And as impressive as the Chipolopolo were against the Eagles of Carthage, they don’t seem to be able to match the indomitable Lions if they are on a good day.
Cameroon 3-1 Zambia
Goal.com
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