TEAM PREVIEW: CAMEROON

CAMEROON - "Les Lions Indomptables” – “The Indomitable Lions"

Population: 22,534,532 (2013 census)

Ethnic Groups: 31% “Highlanders” (a confusing multi-ethnic group), 19% Equatorial Bantu, 11% Kirdi, 10% Fulani, 8% Northwestern Bantu, 20% other.  40% Catholic, 30% Protestant, 18% Muslim, 12% agnostic and other.

Registered Football Clubs: 223 

Most Successful Clubs: Coton Sport FC (12 titles – 1 time continental runner-up) Canon Sportif (10 titles – 3 times continental champions)

Registered Football Players: 22,045 – (.28 percent of all players are registered with the federation which is very low. 3.4% of the population play football 
competitively. Nevertheless any Cameroonian will tell you football is not only the national sport but a national religion.

All Time Top Scorer: Samuel Eto'o (55 in 115 so far) 

Patrick M'Boma (right) is second with a better strike rate of 33 in 57.

World Cup Performance: 

1^st African Team to reach a quarter final (1990 famously)

This is their 7^th participation. They only advanced from the group stage once.

20 games played, 4 wins, 7 draws, 9 losses, 17 scored and 34 against.

Continental Performance: 

4 times African Cup of Nations Champions (84, 88, 00 and 02)

and 2 times runners-up (86 and 08).

Noteworthy: 2000 Olympic Champions in Australia because part of that class still forms this team.

How they get their calories:

Fufu – first take something starchy like a Sweet Potato, then pound it with a hammer, then roll it into a ball, and dip it into a superb pepper sauce. Genius.

Ndolé – Bitter leaves deliciously offset by nutty peanuts and a meaty stew from the “whole animal” needless to say. Add a side of Bobolo (fermented ground manioc wrapped in leaves) and you are eligible for a passport for only three-fiddy!

Safou a la Sauce Tomate – deep-fried prunes (in peanut oil) in tomato sauce are a very common street food in Camerron as is….

Corn in all its forms, cooked, grilled, smashed, in a flour or raw. Peanuts are found in most edible concoctions, never far away from the cassava (sweet potato) and the hot pepper is omni-present (the latter being a clear sign of an excellent civilization).

The national beer: 

33 Export and Kadji Beer Blonde, although a lot more are available from the conglomerate Les Sociétés Anonymes des Brasseries du Cameroun which makes several local and international beers (on license, probably).

From the anthem:

Rather feel-good, not so much blood except the standard bit about soaking the soil with it and all that.

“May all your children, from North to South

From East to West, live in love!

May serving you be their sole purpose

To fulfill their duty forever.”

Worthy words for a country which mixes peanuts, sweet potatoes and hot peppers on a daily basis!

How to blend in with the fans:

Green-red-yellow body paint is a must. Big glasses, like very big glasses saying to the players “I am watching you.”

Don’t dare be minimalist, extravagance and full love is the order of the day. 1990 is legendary for Cameroonians, and the country worships football… you have to look after every detail of your appearance if you want to be a Cameroon supporter.

Drums, singing in a united chorus, and holding and strapping a stuffed yellow Lyon to yourself are essential. 

Ohh, and as a favourite Cameroonian professor once told me, the crowd descends on the stadium in Cameroon hours before and departs hours after.

The stereotype:

A fast attacking team where Samuel Eto’o is the only real talent.

There is also a rumor that Cameroonians eat a lot of insects... false  (for the most part) except for the very poor.

Cameroon is an extremely diverse country, despite which they are rather unified. It would not be unfair to say, that the “magic glue “for that unification is made up of love for peace and their national team.

What their neighbours know:

Cameroon are full of experienced, tactically intelligent players. Despite not having the most successful run lately, Cameroon are never easily beaten in competitive matches.

Samuel Eto’s is the superstar, for better and for worse. He scores, but he also often behaves as if he was greater than the whole national team, using his immense popularity to basically micromanage the team and the football federation. Usually this is worse than better… but maybe this hand-picked group and coach can actually make a mark on this World Cup?

How they qualified:

A loss away to Lybia was their only slip, Cameroon qualified more smoothly than any other African country. On March 5^th though they god bamboozled 5-1 by Portugal in a friendly… and they had previously failed to qualify for the last two African Nations Cups.

The sad: 

Well, loads off course, but what I find particularly sad is 4 times African Player of the Year Samuel Eto’s constant politics with his Football Association. He accused them of “wanting him dead” in 2013, of being corrupt, swindling money etc. etc. He was banned for a long time, but now has returned to the team.

There are many signs, as if they were needed, that the Cameroonian FA is not the most organized or corruption free out there, but the whole debate deflates the purity of passion which was evident as the offsetting factor whenever Cameroon had its brilliant eras.

The happy joy joy:

The 4-1 home thumping of Tunisia that sent them through to the World Cup saw singing and dancing in the stadium into the next morning.

An overview:

Cameroon boasts a lot of players that perform key tactical roles for their European clubs, and do so with a degree of playing intelligence and physical excellence. The idea is to create a solid unit in which talents like Eto’o or N’Koulou can shine.

Is this a parable for the whole development effort in Africa in general?

Regardless, it is very hard to predict if Cameroon manage to leave their group, they have talent, but will they have the focus and self-belief needed to take on two teams with similar problems (Mexico and Croatia) and Brazil?

This might seem like a silly comment, but if Cameroon score first they can go far, if they get his fast they will barely be remembered at this World Cup.

Team Strength: 

Experience, with no position devoid of tested quality. Cameroon are hard to play against because they prevent you from playing and hit you on the break.

Cameroon have a number of strong, fast players, a decent goalkeeper and a long history of playing together, albeit often without anything to show for it.

Samuel Eto'o is a game changer when having a good day.

Team Weakness: 

When they fall apart, they fall apart, with squabbling and infighting galore. Score a goal and they shake, two and they melt.

They need to score first in order to preserve their rather delicate squad harmony, and they need to have a better build-up than the 5-1 thumping away to Portugal a couple of weeks ago.

Samuel Eto'o is a negative presence and disruptive force to the whole team when having a bad day.

The Goalkeeping Department: 6.9 – Itandje and Assembé are still competing for first choice, although the latter let in 4 goals against Portugal and the former one. The former is older, experienced, and has found a new lease on his career with Konyaspor in Turkey where he has had rather impressive performances.

The younger Assembé is still at 28 considered a major prospect in the French league, turning in some amazing performances with his defensively-exposed Guingamp side. His reflexes and big-game performances are probably better, but he is less accustomed to failure and big tournaments than Itandje, who failed miserably in Liverpool and PAOK in Greece, despite fantastic runs at Lens and Atromitos.

Malaga’s Kameni is no longer being called up, with 2 young keepers preferred to him after a miserable series of National team performances from the talented guardian. Many football fans will be expecting him to be the number one, but he has been decisively dropped from the team.

I gave a lower rating, although the talent is there, because the pressure on the goalkeepers is large, and the department has had problems despite three clear talented choices available.

Defenders: 8.0 – Cameroon has a few real proven talents here, although the major defensive star N’Koulou is having a terrible two seasons with Marseille. Some would say he is the best performer at l’OM, but the team’s under-performance seems to have rubbed off on him, and he is no longer being linked with all of the World’s top clubs like 2-3 years ago. The fullbacks are excellent, and there is a degree of choice on the left side, and the center is comfortably covered with experience.

There is also great cover for the first team, with the likes of Besiktas's Nounkeu, or Rennes' Kana-Biyik jumping effectivelly for N'Koulou or Galatasaray's Chedjou.

I would give an 8.5, but the otherwise impressive back line has a hard time putting in 90 minutes error-free.

The middle: 8.5 defensively – 6.0 offensively

Some of the World’s best ball winners are Cameroonian, and Jean Makoun has returned to former greatness with Rennes this season. Although there is very promising young offensive midfield talent in the wings, the base team still lacks good wingers and attacking midfielders, and this can cause problems at 3/4^th of the pitch. They make up for this with the forwards dropping deep, and they play best when Eto’s tracks back as a playmaker. Landry N'Guemo, formerly of Celtic, is the usual third starter in in the three-man defensive unit.

The attack: 6.0 (7.5 is Eto’o has a good day, 8.0 if Webo does the same)

Limited options, limited tested talent. Some players who were very promising have still not confirmed their potential, and although there is good speed, there is a lack of clever forward play to match Eto’o’s wizardry and this often looks bad. The venerable tree-trunk Idrissou is still the cleverest player brought on to partner Eto’s when the team fails to score.

Pierre Webo has had a medium season at Fenerbahce, and if he gets going up to what he usually shows one out of 5 games. 

The coach:  8.5

Volker Finke is the 4^th German coach of Cameroon. The former Köln manager is good at managing trouble teams to above-average performances. He seems to have improved on Cameroon’s consistency (in competitive matches) at least.

He is very well known for putting individuals ahead of team performances, and bringing discipline and a stronger psychology to the team using the famous “Freiburg method” of coaching.

The 66 year old German is credited nationally for being part of the revolution of team play with “fighters” instead of talented stars, but he is no longer avant-garde. Cameroon seems to have the right mix for a coach like him, with great ball-winning qualities and good-enough attacking talent.

He chooses performance over talent normally, and that is why some of the country’s more recognized talents are not likely to make the canoe to Brazil.

The Tactics:

Finke deploys a counter-attacking 4-3-3 with 2 defensive midfielders, and a defensive playmaker. This give Cameroon the option of sitting back or playing a rather high defensive line and high press to squeeze their opponents into submission. All is well if the defence holds, which it does 3 out of 4 times over the past 2 years.

No surprise, but a damned-good fit for Cameroon.

Everybody knows…. Samuel Eto'o. One of the most recognizable players on the planet is back, and is a significant contributor to Chelsea’s 2014 title run. At 33 he has become more of a complete forward who drops back and bring other colleagues into play before taking scoring opportunities himself. He has had his degree of egoistic moments, as he sees to see himself as greater than his national footballing federation.

He is back with the team, and this will be Eto’o’s last chance to leave a big mark on international football.

Although a smile is guaranteed from the sunny-superstar what mood will he really be in?

On a good day Eto’o is a matchwinner against anyone… on a bad day he sucks all of the energy out of his team.

Should be more famous….  Jean II Makoun had a bad two years with Aston Villa, but he was a fundamental actor in Lille’s rise to Champions League overachievement and French contention. His return to France with Rennes, under Philippe Montanier has been very good for his form. He has an excellent pass, great decision making, and arrives late in the area from the defensive midfield to smash in vital goals for club and country.

His long shot often proves decisive, and he comes wide for good crosses. He failed at Aston Villa because he is neither strong nor tall, but in Cameroon he is surrounded by the Physical power of Alex Song, and Joel Matip among others and this allows him to enjoy his game to great effect.

No one has heard off…  Benjamin Moukandjo, but the pacey 25 year old is turning in regular top performances with Cameroon and less so with Nancy. An excellent fit into Finke’s 433, he sometimes doubles for Webo or Choupo-Moting or sometimes starts.  

His current season in Ligue 2 with recently-relegated Nancy has not been stellar and he lost his place. It appears he will be travelling to Brazil due to better play with Cameroon. He does however score decisive goals for the national team, including a great second against Tunisia which sent Cameroon through.

Unfulfilled talent:

Léonard Kweuke is not likely to be making the trip to Brazil. The mountainous striker had excellent performances with Sparta Prague scoring 43 goals, but was banned for 12 games following a horror tackle in May 2013 and had to move to Turkey where he has a 50% strike ratio with Çaykur Rizespor. His career with Cameroon is not over, but Finke is not giving him chances.

Still going…  Mohammadou Idrissou is a tall striker or better-yet a wide target man, who has for what seems like a decade been deployed to great effect from the Cameroun subs bench. He is tall, but not a target man as his technique and playing intelligence are excellent, and without scoring he manages to draw a lot of defensive attention and open up opportunities with clever movement and crafty use of his 1.88 m frame.

The heart of the team…. Barcelona’s Alex Song is the real asset of Cameroon, with his soaking up of responsibility which makes the whole rest of the team play better. Quiet, and not frequently in the frame, he does the dirty work on the field and releases the counter attacks that have been the heart of Cameroon’s recent success.

His uncle, Rigobert, was a Cameroon legend, is and Alex is already no less, he just needs to enjoy the key role he has with the team and ensure the control of play that Cameroon need to progress.

The goalscorer.... Maxim Choupo-Moting is very effective with Cameroon. Finke knew him at Köln, and although there are better dribblers and technical wizards available to Finke, Choupo-Moting is the disciplined type of German winger that the old German manager deploys to great effect. Already 9 goals for Cameroon make the 25 year-old one to watch.

The young star… Nicolas N'Koulou is 24-years-young, yet he is one of the core 5 players for Cameroon. A defender with great technique and creativity, he can launch counterattacks, deliver deadly deep crosses, and play equally in various positions if called upon. Long-linked with the likes of Arsenal, he is currently part of an underachieving Marseille side, although many would say he has been one of the bright spots of their season.

German-born Joël Matip is a player who is excellent at the offense-to defence transition in midfield, and a good ball-winner. Hi lack of experience can lead to his disappearance from time to time, but he is constantly improving with Cameroon, and has played himself firmly into the first eleven lately.

Candidate for discovery of the tournament…  Just like at the last World Cup its 22 year old Vincent Aboubakar where he was already tipped as a major rising start but didn’t do much. He has been in brilliant 13-goal form with overachievers Lorient in France this season, and his surging, powerful runs make him a player to contend with when given the time and space of a counter-attack. In great form this season, this is one to watch.

Recognized player not likely to feature… Idriss Carlos Kameni is known for his catlike, if inconsistent, shot-stopping. Long considered a very talented goalkeeper, he lost his spot with Espanyol, and lately lost his spot with Malaga. He has not featured with Cameroon in a long while, and Finke calls us two experienced, and a third young goalkeeper regularly instead.

The prospect of tomorrow… Edgar Salli is an excellent young winger on loan at Lens from Monaco. Dangerous, clever, fast and goal-getting he is one of the most anticipated young wide players in France. He might squeeze into the Cameroon squad, but the competition is stiff.

Jean Marie Dongou is a major star with Barcelona B, already having made his Champions League and La Liga debuts with the main team. A real talent, he is superb technically, a great finisher, and clever, pacey channel-stormer. He has not yet featured with Cameroon, but he sat on the bench versus Portugal. It remains to be seen if he, or Barca B central defender Frank Bagnack will be taken to Brazil instead of more experienced players. Regardless, both have a real future with the national team, and Dongou looks especially promising.

Worth mentioning: Eyong Enoh is a versatile deep-lying midfield workhorse. He does everything on the pitch (except score often) well enough, and consistently. His experience with Ajax has given him a degree of tactical saavy, and he could even push young Matip or N’Guemo for the starting 11.

French-born Benoit Assou-Ekotto had a his ups and downs with spurs, but is having a resurgence at QPR. The seasons left back has at least 2 quality competitors for the spot (Bedimo and Bong) but his passing, tactical discipline and crossing make him a player not to ignore.

The core team: Itandje, Assembé (GK) – Nyom, N’Koulou, Chedjou, Assou-Ekotto (Def) – Makoun, Song, N’Guemo (Mid) – Eto’o, Choupo-Moting/Webo, Aboubakar (Att)

Likely to also feature:

Sammy N'Djock (GK, Fetihyespor) or Loïc Feudjou (GK, Coton Sport)

Henri Bedimo (LB, Lyon), Dany Nounkeu (CB, Besiktas), Gaëtan Bong (LB, Olympiakos), Allan Nyom (RB, Granada, Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik (Rennes)

Willie Overtoom (CM, AZ Alkmaar) or Stéphane Mbia (CDM, Sevilla) or Raoul Loé (CDM, Osasuna)

Jacques Zoua (ST, HSV) or Yannick N'Djeng (ST, Esperance Tunis) or Jacques Haman (Coton Sport, ST)

Captains: Eto’o, Makoun, Song, N’Koulou

Could still make the squad…  Box to box midfielder Stéphane Mbia, 48 caps and 3 goals are not enough to guarantee the 27 year old Sevilla (on loand from QPR) tower-of-power a place in the Cameroon squad. His problem is discipline. 

Like his often-violent colleague Benjamin Angwa, Mbia has a propensity for horror tackles, and can be a bit of a personality, which means Finke has stopped calling him up.  He has also been inconsistent, and sometimes lazy to play his best with the national team.

If he goes, which is unlikely, he could make a huge contribution with blistering speed, dominant strength, and penalty box goals….  

… or be a waste of space. Would you bet on a player like that?

A great team moment:  Cameroon shocked the world in 1990 by defeating World Champions Argentina in their opening match 1-0… they stormed the world stage and lost to England in a dramatic extra time 3-2 loss in the Quarter Finals. 

All African teams are still trying to surpass that memorable performance, although this team doesn't look to have the right personality…. so far.

A legend:  Roger Milla off course. The charming, humble great of Cameroon's golden years.

The group: A

Brazil (June 23rd) Playing against a home team already likely to have qualified, Cameroon are likely to not have more than 2 or 4 points at this stage, and could be desperate. I still don’t see them getting anything against Brazil, the first two games will be key. 

Croatia (June 18th) this will be a tough, pitched battle. Depending on what shape Croatia are in, but it is likely that Cameroon will have a hard time with the creativity of the experienced and talented Croatians.  

Mexico (June 14th) should be a good start for Cameroon, as the Mexicans don’t fare well against stronger, taller teams. The Aztecs have had a lot of trouble qualifying, and unless they turn things around before the kick-off, Cameroon should take all three points here.

Pre Tournament Friendlies:

Portugal v. Cameroon (Lisbon) March 5^th, 2014 – lost 5-1

Macedonia v. Cameroon (Kufstein, Austria) on May 26th 2014

Cameroon v. Paraguay (Kufstein, Austria) on May 29^th  2014

Germany v. Cameroon (Mönchengladbach) on June 1^st 2014

Two easier games versus 2 hard-tackling teams, injuries are possible, and then a terrible game for confidence-building versus Germany.

Prognosis: 

This one is really hard to call, because Cameroon epitomize the “on-a-good-day” African unpredictability. They have talent in all parts of the park.

Given how miserable Mexico and Croatia have been lately, and given that they play Brazil last, I see them as 2^nd, but possibly 3^rd. Anyways, this team is not likely to emulate the 1990 one, although a couple of “good days” could surprise us all given that they have the talent.

Eto'o is both a huge asset, and a definite liability, like many stars are. But there is enough depth in the squad, and years of experience playing together, that they could really to put up a fight in Group A. He gets this much focus, because like Sweden with Ibrahimovic, England with Gerrad/Lampard/Rooney, or Portugal with Ronaldo, having such a star in a National team creates a dominance which is both helpful and detrimental at the same time. Few stars manage to surpass this complex.

This is not an easy Group, and Cameroon have not done well in recent World Cups.... despite always having a potential to surprise.