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)
competitively. Nevertheless any Cameroonian will tell you football is not only the national sport but a national religion.
Patrick M'Boma (right) is second with a better strike rate of 33 in 57.
1st African Team to reach a quarter final (1990 famously)
This is their 7th participation. They only advanced from the group stage once.
20 games played, 4 wins, 7 draws, 9 losses, 17 scored and 34 against.
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 5th 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.
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.
Captains: Eto’o, Makoun, Song, N’Koulou
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 3/4th 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 4th 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.
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 5th, 2014 – lost 5-1
Macedonia
v. Cameroon (Kufstein, Austria) on May 26th 2014
Cameroon
v. Paraguay (Kufstein, Austria) on May 29th 2014
Germany
v. Cameroon (Mönchengladbach) on June 1st 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 2nd,
but possibly 3rd. 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.
