Le Guen: We need dramatic improvement

  1. Posted on Friday 4 June 2010 - 10:10
    Walter
    Image of Walter
    Walter Wilson Nana, AfricaNews reporter in Buea, Cameroon
    The coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Paul Marie Le Guen, has been assessing his 23 players selected for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa as the buildup continues with international friendlies. After a 3-1 loss to Portugal, he is still upbeat and calls on his charges to improve drastically.
    Paul Le Guen
    Some observers of the Lions hold that the team appears to be in some disarray after failing to win in their last six outings. The game was also marred by the dismissal of captain Samuel Fils Eto'o, who has been involved in an off-the-field war-of-words with former player, Roger Albert Milla, currently one of Cameroon’s Roving Ambassadors and President Paul Biya’s adviser on football.

    "It was a tough game," Le Guen told the BBC's Fast Track programme, in reference to the Portugal defeat. "The beginning was not too bad but after, it became difficult because we were 10. But I am still optimistic because I think we will get better. We had a good game last Saturday, (against Slovakia), we were a little bit tired, we worked hard, so it is not a surprise to suffer against one of the favourites for the tournament.”

    While noting that going through the group stage of the South Africa 2010 football jamboree will be like going through the eye of the needle, Le Guen remains very hopeful.

    “I say it again, we can have a good team. We have to work during the next 7 days and we will be ready, I'm convinced," he told journalists in Lisbon, Portugal, Thursday as his team jetted off to Belgrade, Serbia, where they are expected to play their last international friendly against their Serbian counterpart on Saturday, June 5 2010.

    From Belgrade, the Lions fly to Cameroon on Monday, June 7; play a farewell game at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde, Tuesday, June 8 and on Wednesday, June 9, the Cameroonian team flies to Durban, South Africa for their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign.

    The Lions are paired in Group E, alongside Denmark, Japan and Holland. Le Guen’s squad open their South African campaign on June 14 against the Japanese at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

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