Walter Wilson Nana
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will be absent at the final phase of the African Cup of Nations tourney, AFCON 2013. Though they beat the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde, 2-1 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Sunday, October 14 2012, the team of Jean Paul Akono lost their qualification ticket on a 3-2 aggregate score, following their earlier dismal show in Praia, Cape Verde, September 8 2012, losing 0-2.
Despite a generally well prepared match, as initially noted by the head of the new technical bench for the Lions, Jean Paul Akono, the team captained by Samuel Fils Eto’o failed to deliver the expected magic – beat Cape Verde by three goals, without conceding any and jet their way to South Africa come January 2013.
Though the Lions opened the match in Yaoundé in a spirited manner, backed by the 12th player, the more than 50,000 thousand-man crowd that answered present in the Lions’ den, Mfandena, a spot kick for the Blue Sharks and Portuguese-based Heldon at the 10th minute of play, will bring them a lot of joy and optimism as it was beautifully slotted in. The Lions’ keeper, Carlos Idriss Kameni could not stop the damage. Still very hopeful, the Lions did their all to come back into the match, as Alexandre Song Billong, Jean II Makoun, Benoit Angbwa, Samuel Fils Eto’o and Achille Emana combined strategy and energy from the midfield to the attack line to get an equaliser.
This will come at the 25th minute thanks to Achille Emana, who gave a good account of himself. A determined Cape Verdean team, with a very youthful spirit will hold their own against the Lions for a one-all tie till the close of the first segment of the match.
In the second half of the game, the Lions multiplied efforts, style, energy and individual tactics, yet the situation will not evolve in their favour. On their part, the Blue Sharks gained confidence and saw themselves progressively getting into their first ever AFCON qualification.
Some changes will be made in the Cameroonian team, which saw Idrissou Mohamadou, donning jersey number 11 leave the green turf for the young and promising Fabrice Olinga, donning jersey number 7 and who trades his professional football skills in Malaga, Spain.
Subsequently, Achille Emana will leave his place for Vincent Aboubakar while Alexandre Song will be replaced for Joel Matip of Schalke O4 in Germany. These changes will bring some verve into the Lions’ attacking machinery but the goals to make the difference did not come.
At the 88th minute of the match, the dynamic Olinga in a good offensive move chipped in the second goal for Cameroon. What a motivation, which did not last for long as the Egyptian referee called the match to a close at the 92th minute. Hence, the Lions won the Blue Sharks in Yaoundé but will not be party to the African football fiesta, come January 2013 in the rainbow country, South Africa.
Observers of Cameroon football have been quick to note that the absence of adequate preparations from the beginning of competitions is part of the plethora of problems plaguing the game in the country.
Others hold that Cameroon lost her qualification for South Africa 2013 from the early matches, losing vital points to the Simbas of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Libyan national team.
Some say the Sunday, October 14 2012 match against Cape Verde marks the end of a generation of players in the Cameroon national squad. The likes of Idrissou Mohamadou and Carlos Idriss Kameni.
Earlier this year, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in another painful experience missed out at the AFCON 2012 co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Other Results recorded and qualifications
• First leg scores in brackets
- Algeria 2-0 Libya (3-0)
- Ethiopia 2-0 Sudan (Agg: 5-5) Ethiopia go through on away goals and coming back to AFCON after 30 years of absence
- Cameroon 2-1 Cape Verde (Agg: 2-3)
- Angola 2-0 Zimbabwe (Agg: 3-3) Angola go through on away goals
- Niger 2-0 Guinea (Agg: 2-1)
- Togo 2-1 Gabon (Agg: 3-2)
- Guinea 2-1 DR Congo (Agg: 2-5)
- Burkina Faso 3-1 CAR (3-2)
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will be absent at the final phase of the African Cup of Nations tourney, AFCON 2013. Though they beat the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde, 2-1 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Sunday, October 14 2012, the team of Jean Paul Akono lost their qualification ticket on a 3-2 aggregate score, following their earlier dismal show in Praia, Cape Verde, September 8 2012, losing 0-2.
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