By Walter Wilson Nana
In less than 48 hours, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will have to make or mar their qualification for AFCON 2013 due for South Africa. Sunday, October 14 at the Yaoundé Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, the Cameroonian national team will take on their counterparts from Cape Verde, the Blue Sharks. It will be the return-leg match and final qualifiers for South Africa 2013. In the away match played in Praia, Cape Verde, Saturday, September 8 2012, rising Cape Verde surprised the Lions with a two-nil victory. Since then, Cape Verdean national squad has picked up a positive spirit, had favourable media attention, now very close to their first ever AFCON tourney while the Lions have gone back to their den, strategising on how to overturn the Cape Verdean hit on them.
For a start, the low-profiled trainer from France, Denis Lavagne was booted out of the den and the old Lion and former coach of Cameroon and Chad, Jean Paul Akono brought back to manage affairs at the helm of the technical bench. Akono in the company of Martin Ndtoungou Mpile as assistant, Jacques Songo’o in charge of keepers, Sylvain Alain Monkam Tchokonte as Physical Fitness Trainer and Emmanuel Ambane for Psychological Support say they are ready to change the tides in favour of Cameroon come Sunday, October 14 2012.
In a press outing Friday, October 12 2012, Akono told journalists at their Hilton Hotel setting that his 25-man squad is ready to confront Cape Verde on Sunday, October 14. “We’ve the zeal to go on and on. We’ve respected the five-day training programme put in place and all the players are in good health,” the Lions’ trainer said.
Team Manager for the Lions and former skipper, Rigobert Song Bahanag said the problems of the past have been shove aside, adding that serenity reigns in the Lions’ den. Nicolas Nkoulou, one of the 25 players in camp corroborated Rigobert Song, noting that qualification for AFCON 2013 in South Africa is their business and nothing else.
Tombi A Roko Sidiki, the Secretary of Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, who was also at the press briefing mentioned that the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde arrive Cameroon Friday, October 12 2012 with a huge delegation, in which there are five government ministers. “They will be coming aboard a special flight with their food and water,” Sidiki said.
The four Egyptian-born match officials; Greisha Gihed, referee, and his assistants; Degaish Aymen, Ashor Mahmoud, the Malian match commissioner, Souleymane Magasouba and the Nigerian Paul Bassey, the CAF security officer arrive Cameroon Friday, October 12 2012.
Faced with the challenge of ensuring that a ticket for AFCON 2013 is gotten, the Cameroonian government and people have been in a union sacré mood. Everybody have decided to throw their weight behind the lions, noting that Cameroon, with a glorious past should not afford to miss a second consecutive AFCON. Earlier this year, the Lions were absent in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon (co-hosts of AFCON 2012).
As part of rekindling the winning spirit of the Lions, Thursday, October 11 2012, some former Indomitable Lions players led by Roger Albert Milla, visited the players in camp and launch with them. The delegation comprising; Theophile Abega, Emmanuel Kunde, Bonaventure Djonkep, Joseph Antoine Bell and Victor Ndip Akem came with a message of encouragement and the need for a fighting and cohesive spirit come October 14.
Though Cameroonians look forward to a victory for the Lions come October 14 in Yaoundé, some observers have called for caution and fair-play, noting that football is round for everybody. With their two goals advantage already, the Cape Verdeans will want to do their all to get their first ever AFCON ticket. Will this happen come Sunday, October 14? Let’s wait and see!!