Cameroon v Cape Verde
Cape Verde caused one of the biggest surprises in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with their 2-0 victory over Cameroon at home in the first leg encounter last month. It might have been a huge upset to most neutrals but Cape Verde have steadily improved over the last few years and are now ranked 10th in Africa. The victory was arguably the biggest in the history of the country and confirms the downward spiral of the Indomitable Lions. Cameroon failed to qualify for the last Cup of Nations tournament and have dropped down to 16th in the CAF rankings.
By just looking at the respective clubs of the Cape Verde player’s, one would see the talent they possess. More than 90% of the squad ply their trade in Europe with the majority playing in the Portuguese Liga. The Islanders goals came via Ricardo (Pacos Ferreira), who netted midway through the first half, and Djaniny (Olhanense), who added a second just past the hour-mark. The island is one of Africa’s smallest countries, and is just one match away from a place in the AFCON which will be an extraordinary achievement for a nation with a population of some 500,000. The fact that they might eliminate Cameroon, one of the continent’s most successful teams, would make the achievement even greater for the Portuguese-speaking nation. Head Coach Lúcio Antunes, last Thursday, named an unchanged squad from the first leg. Despite sitting on a comfortable 2-0 advantage, Antunes has called on his charges to guard against complacency as they remain focused to “finish off” the Lions.
Newly appointed Cameroon Coach Jean-Paul Akono turned to the past when naming his squad to restore their recently flagging team spirit and help overturn a first-leg deficit to qualify for next year’s AFCON. Akono replaced Frenchman Denis Lavagne after his removal following the first leg defeat. After convincing striker Samuel Eto’o to end his boycott of the national team, Akono recalled another two players who were on his team when Cameroon won the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics 12 years ago. 33-year-old defender Pierre Wome and 30-year-old midfielder Modeste Mbami, who last played for the country in 2009, were both included in a 26-man squad for the decisive second-leg game. Their international careers had appeared to be over, as had that of 32-year-old Mohamadou Idrissou, who is back in the team for the first time since the 2010 World Cup. Rennes midfielder Jean Makoun, who had boycotted the team alongside Eto’o, also returns to the fold. Eto’o had refused to play in the first leg of the tie after labelling the set-up around the team amateurish and last year led a boycott of a friendly in Algeria in a row over unpaid bonuses. The four-time African Footballer of the Year said last week he had decided to make himself available for the national side again following a meeting with Prime Minister Philemon Yang. Experience and current form were the key factors in the recalls, Akono said.
This will be a big feat for Cameroon who will need to win the game by three goals. The revamped team have only been with the new coach for a week. Cape Verde are not the minnows they use to be now that they have their full host of European based talent. They should hold out a draw and make history by qualifying for the AFCON.
