Cameroon (National Football)

Just four days after threatening to skip the World Cup, Cameroon's superstar striker and captain, Samuel Eto'o, was booked twice in barely a minute and expelled from the Indomitable Lions World Cup tune-up against Portugal.

What should have been a dry-run for Cameroon's starting eleven in the lead-up to the tournament ceased to be a serious competition after Eto'o was sent off for inexplicably arguing a 32nd minute goal from Raul Meireles and shortly thereafter venting his frustration with a late tackle on defender Duda.

Cameroon did well to generate chances without their star after the sending-off, and even recovered a goal in the 69th minute thanks to a sublime header from RCD Mallorca striker Pierre Webó. However, even before Eto'o's characteristically petulant display, Portugal had been ascendant, and Lions supporters once again must scratch their heads and wonder what to expect come June 14.

Bright Spots Shine Through in the 23-Man Roster

With Gaëtan Bong and Maxim Choupo-Moting's nationality appeals approved by FIFA, the 23-man Cameroon roster was set ahead of Tuesday's match in Covilha, Portugal.

And despite losing 3-1 on Meireles' brace and a late insurance goal from Manchester United winger Nani, Cameroon's resilient youth and depth showed on the day.

Youngster Choupo-Moting generated a great shot against Portuguese keeper Eduardo before Webó replaced him on the hour-mark. Benoît Assou-Ekotto tallied his second assist from left back in as many games, and 20-year-old Monaco center back and surprise starter Nicolas N'Koulou largely neutralized Cristiano Ronaldo, doing credit to manager Paul Le Guen's faith in the youngster.

The original 11-man line-up was deployed in a 4-3-1-2—likely the formation they will favor to start against most opponents in South Africa—and included a couple players that are less likely to start at the World Cup: Nuremberg striker Choupo-Moting and Kaiserslautern midfielder Georges Mandjeck.

The 'diamond' lineup emphasized the Lions' midfield strength and defensive versatility.

Normally a midfielder, Mendjack began the match at right back, where he played opposite Tottenham's Assou-Ekotto. The back of the midfield was anchored by Arsenal's Alex Song, Lyon's Jean Makoun, and Ajax's Eyong Enoh, a youngish line to be sure, but one whose world-class experience will be leaned on in front of a younger central defensive pair in 24-year-old Stephane Mbia and 20-year-old N'Koulou.

In general, Mbia and N'Koulou impressed with surprising maturity against a star-studded Portuguese line. Before Eto'o's ejection, Portugal gained most of their opportunities by exploiting the undisciplined tendencies of Assou-Ekotto and Mendjack, who both seemed over-eager to drift forward all day. This is a dangerous precedent, considering the counterattacking styles of Japan and Denmark, and Le Guen must emphasize cohesion across the back four heading into their June 5 match against Serbia in Belgrade.

No. 10 Achille Emana, the creative engine of the Cameroon attack, was substituted in the second half to give Landry N'Guemo a run around. Real Betis striker Webó may have won himself a starting job as his second half laser offered a stark contrast to the missed opportunities offered up by Mohammadou Idrissou in his last couple of appearances.

Forgettable Outings From Experienced Stars

The two most disappointing players on the pitch may have been the two most important, in goalkeeper Carlos Kameni and captain Eto'o.

Kameni lived up to his reputation as a world-class shot-stopper, but also demonstrated the startling inconsistency that hounded him at the African Cup of Nations this winter. Just after halftime he allowed an accidental "I meant to do that" goal, Meireles' second, on a floating cross that would have been handled easily were Kameni in position. Soft goals like that will sink Cameroon in South Africa, and Kameni cannot allow lapses in form to overshadow his finer moments.

To paraphrase Rodgers and Hammerstein, how do you solve a problem like Samuel Eto'o? (How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?).

At 29, he's still one of the most dangerous strikers in the game today, but after his tantrum on Friday and his first half meltdown on Tuesday, Eto'o is looking less like a bullet train than a train wreck. When Zinedine Zidane pulled similar stunts for France, he at least had the courtesy of waiting later in the match and scoring a goal or three first. Zidane also played for a team that could better afford to lose him.

It's not the World Cup yet, so hysteria would be unwarranted. But at this point, Eto'o will only have played one match with the team (assuming FIFA permit him to play in Belgrade on Saturday) before taking the field against Japan on June 14 in Bloemfontein.

Everything can still come together for the Lions, but they're fast running out of chances to get their act together, and their captain certainly isn't helping.

The major question mark about this team, the dominant theme that will repeat itself however far Cameroon advance in South Africa, will be consistency.

Can Cameroon's talented and deep defensive unit put together the solid string of performances of which they should, by all rights, be capable? And will someone emerge as a consistent striking partner for Samuel Eto'o?

These are the questions that have frustrated successive Lions managers—all six of them—over the last five years, and these are the questions for which Cameroon supporters still have no definite answers with 10 days before the start of the tournament.

Playing with Fire: Finding a Striker to Complement Samuel Eto'o

Eto'o is a world-class player by anyone's reckoning; he is not the type of player that can be silenced for an entire match by any team. However, since the retirement of Patrick Mboma in 2004, Eto'o has lacked a dependable striking partner and has not adjusted well to being the go-to guy for Cameroon.

In general, scoring goals has not been a problem for the strong-willed and super talented striker, however, for some time now he has not been able to score the clutch goals in meaningful international fixtures that would secure his standing among the great Indomitable Lions of the last 30 years.

By playing shutdown defense on Eto'o and taking as an acceptable loss the odd breakthrough from the Internazionale and former Barcelona speed demon, opposing sides have been able to largely cancel out the once-ferocious Lions' attack.

The two lead candidates for the demanding task of playing second fiddle to the fiery Eto'o are veterans Mohammadou Idrissou and Pierre Webó.

The 30-year-old Idrissou plays for recently promoted Bundesliga side Freiburg, who avoided a speedy return to the Second German Division this spring in no small part due to the dependable contribution of their 6'3" target man. He is not a goal-scoring machine, but he is a big target who can certainly capitalize in front of the net.

The 28-year-old Webó, who has seen more national team experience than Idrissou and has compiled a respectable .33 strike rate in his 39 appearances, plies his trade in the Mediterranean idyll of Mallorca.

Both players are veterans and have had their fair share of opportunities alongside Eto'o. Idrissou, with experience in the physical Bundesliga, would seem to be the towering yin to Eto'o's speedy yang, but one wouldn't be far off calling him the "least worst" option, the lesser of two evils.

Cameroon seriously lack depth at striker. Their options are limited, and if neither Idrissou nor Webó steps up, Cameroon could struggle once again to score goals on the world's biggest stage.

More than any other factor, creative play from Real Betis' Achille Emana and a consistent threat from a second forward will be the keys to unleashing Eto'o.

Defensive Inconsistency: So Much Talent, But So Little to Show for It

While age and depth may be concerns on offense for Cameroon, their defensive ranks seemingly overflow with a potent brew of experience and potential.

All-time Indomitable Lions appearances leader Rigobert Song will probably rest his imposing frame on the bench unless the injury bug bites; his 33-year-old body is neither as fast nor as quick as it once was, though manager Paul Le Guen has seemed comfortable leaning on Song's age and experience over the past half year.

His veteran presence, like that of the still-productive Geremi Njitap, complements a host of younger defensive players who earn a living at some of the top clubs in Britain and France: defensive midfielders Jean Makoun, Alex Song, and Landry N'Guémo, as well as center-backs Sebastien Bassong, Stephane Mbia, and right full-back Benoît Assou-Ekotto.

Despite this impressive collection of talent, many of them already in their prime, and others just beginning to show their astronomical potential, Cameroon's defensive showings have been erratic over the last two or three years.

Seemingly just as likely to pitch a shutout as concede a penalty against African opponents over the last 12 months, the young Lions will need to show that they can be consistent in both the 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 if they are to avoid conceding early goals that could potentially sink them against counterattacking sides Japan and Denmark.

Espanyol's Idriss Carlos Kameni is probably the least talked-of goalkeeper whom everyone should be discussing around the water cooler. He is that good.

Paul Le Guen, though, will be hoping his defense will keep Kameni off the radar. The more we hear about Carlos Kameni following in the legendary footsteps of Thomas Nkono and Joseph-Antoine Bell, the worse this defensive unit will probably have performed.

So Much Potential: Will Cameroon Live Up to Expectations?

Despite the dark clouds this article has highlighted thus far, the silver linings are numerous and sterling.

Cameroon just have so much talent, it's hard to imagine them not pulling together an inspired run in Africa's first World Cup. They will need to rely on solid defense more than the "joga bonito"-esque Indomitable Lions of the past, but former Paris Saint-Germain manager Paul Le Guen knows how to put defense first while still putting an attractive product on the pitch.

Alex Song, at 22, had a monster year for Arsenal (and for Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations), showing an ability to go forward and support the attack that will help Emana, N'Guémo, and Makoun challenge for midfield supremacy against any conceivable opponent.

Assou-Ekotto, now that he has finally agreed to play for Cameroon, will join the experienced (if slightly over-the-hill) Geremi in forming a pair of skilled, fast full-backs who will provide dangerous attacking support.

This team is one star forward away from being a bona fide dark horse contender.

If Eto'o can escape the shackles with which opposing defenses will attempt to burden him, or if Idrissou or Webó can cause enough havoc on their own, this team could challenge the Netherlands for group supremacy.

Winning the group would help avoid the minefield of likely second- and quarterfinal-round encounters that second place would lay in their path. Here's hoping.

Allez le Lions!

The 1-1 draw the Indomitable Lions played out with Slovakia this afternoon was overshadowed by a very public spat between arguably the two greatest players in the history of the Cameroon national team.

While only rehashing a long-standing domestic debate, the timing of the controversy highlights the instability and lack of leadership that many feel have already doomed Africa's most successful footballing nation to another premature tournament exit.

War of Words

Earlier in the week, Cameroon legend Roger Milla—no stranger to controversy—questioned the dedication of Internazionale and former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o in an interview with Agence France-Presse, saying, "He has done much for Barça and Milan, but nothing for Cameroon."

Though former national-teamers, among them goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell and striker Patrick Mboma, publicly criticized the tenor of Milla's comments, the high-strung Eto'o wasted little time in offering his own controversial reply.

Still on leave from the national team following last week's Champions League final, the victorious striker fired back in an interview with French TV station Canal Plus on Friday.

“What has Milla done? He hasn’t won the World Cup," Eto'o said, going on to refer to Cameroon's famous run at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. "Yes, they played in the quarterfinal, but that was one of the best teams with some of the best players at every position. It’s not because he was a hero at 40 that he can talk."

Despite his age and supposed maturity, the petulant 29-year-old added, "Is it worth the trouble that I go to the World Cup? I still have a few days to think, but I’m trying to see if my participation is necessary, because I don’t need that in my career.”

Whatever Milla may have said, such a statement cannot be justified, especially coming from the supposed leader of the team.

Questioning Eto'o's Leadership

It would be a shock if Eto'o were seriously considering not making the trip to South Africa. His comments about traveling to the World Cup should be interpreted more as an ill-judged expression of his frustration with Milla.

Nonetheless, that the team's captain would choose to throw such a public hissy fit on the eve of the World Cup only lends credibility to the general questioning of Eto'o's leadership credentials.

Eto'o, as the Lions' captain and most successful European professional for almost a decade, has borne the brunt of some heavy criticism for an underperforming squad.

Despite striking Olympic Gold in 2000 and winning back-to-back African Nations' Cups in 2000 and 2002, Cameroon have not been successful at the World Cup since 1990 and have failed to achieve international success of any kind since the retirement of Eto'o's former striking partner, the globetrotting Patrick Mboma.

Always individually impressive, Eto'o has become the all-time goal-scoring leader not only for his country, but in the history of the African Cup of Nations. However, only once in their last four attempts have the Indomitable Lions advanced past the quarterfinal of the biennial African tournament, and in 2006 they failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 16 years.

Milla's lack of tact in criticizing Eto'o may have belied a legitimate point about the superstar's suitability to lead the Lions: Eto'o may indeed lack the ability to carry the team by himself and additionally may not possess the evenness of temper to lead his football-mad nation out of the proverbial wilderness.

Going Forward: Time to Turn the Page?

Cameroon are not where they want to be heading into a tournament where they are considered Africa's strongest contenders. However, they are far from being in free-fall and they still rank among the most talented and dangerous sleepers of the summer. If they can emerge from their funk and come together as a squad, the Indomitable Lions should be feared by all comers.

There are question marks at certain positions, to be sure, but despite Eto'o's implicit suggestion to the contrary, Cameroon have arguably never fielded a more talented team in any of their five previous World Cup finals appearances.

Therefore, it may be time for the next generation of Lions to step up and lead.

Cameroon cannot afford the shakeup that would accompany formally stripping Eto'o of the team's captaincy. However, the team features several younger stars who may quietly assume a more active leadership role.

Birthday boy Jean Makoun, Real Betis' Achille Emana, Marseille's Stephane Mbia, and Arsenal's Alex Song are all experienced national team players who figure to fill essential roles in Cameroon's quest to advance to the knockout stage. By exemplifying a unified, team-first mentality, these players may form a countervailing force to balance out Eto'o's fiery personality.

Eto'o may be one of the most dangerous strikers in the tournament, but only as a team can the Indomitable Lions hope to advance beyond their dangerous first round group.

The greatest question mark buzzing around Cameroon's World Cup squad is their ability to score goals and the uninspired performance they turned in against overmatched Georgia on Tuesday did little to answer supporters' and media-members' concerns.

There is a school of thought among Cameroonian media and Indomitable Lions' fans the world over that their team are in a transitional period, with the old guard of Rigobert Song, Geremi, and Mohammadou Idrissou on the way out, while young stars like Jean Makoun, Alex Song, and the Tottenham defensive duo of Benoît Assou-Ekoto and Sebastien Bassong have not quite come into their own yet.

Another plausible narrative posits that, led by star forward Samuel Eto'o, goalkeeper Carlos Kameni, and a solid stable of talented young midfield and defensive players, Cameroon have never fielded a World Cup squad with a better opportunity to make a deep run.

At the heart of the debate is the question of goal-scoring: do Cameroon have the creative midfield options and striking talent to generate chances for Eto'o?

Tuesday's result, which featured a largely experimental lineup, would not seem to provide a definitive answer one way or the other.

The Match

With Eto'o and Achille Emana still unavailable, Alex Song, Makoun, and Nicolas Nkoulou were the only likely World Cup starters who began the match for Cameroon, though either Achille Webo or Idrissou, who both missed chances in the match, is likely to join Eto'o on the front line.

Otherwise, with the exception of Rigobert Song, most of the rest of the players who began the match, including amateurs Patrick Mevoungou and Abouna Ndzana, are not likely to make the final roster.

A nil-nil result was certainly frustrating considering the weakness of the opponent and the strong chances wasted by Bundesliga striker Idrissou. Even after Le Guen retooled the lineup at halftime, taking advantage of the lax friendly rules to introduce several players, Cameroon were not able to get anything going.

Nonetheless, this result does not signify much other than the need to reserve judgment for the more significant pre-tournament fixtures coming up over the next two weeks.

The Road Ahead

With three matches in the next ten days against World Cup teams Slovakia, Portugal, and Serbia, Cameroon will look to test themselves more seriously.

With the return of Eto'o and Emana, Le Guen will be able to field a more or less complete roster for Saturday's game against Slovakia, providing him with an opportunity to try a few more combinations of players before announcing the Lions' final 23-man roster on June 1.

The final two matches, in Covilha, Portugal and Belgrade, should provide a decent preview of Le Guen's offensive game-plan against a veteran side in Portugal and an extremely talented young Serbian squad.

The results of these final World Cup tune-ups will go a long way toward determining whether Eto'o can expect a perfect partner in Idrissou or Webo (unlikely considering their collective track record), or whether the forward line will be modified on a match-by-match basis to suit the opponent.

Cameroon will soon be simmering in the Oyster Box. Sounds like a bizarre Gordon Ramsey recipe, but that’s exactly what will be happening in the quiet seaside resort of Umhlanga next month.

With Paul Le Guen’s 30-man provisional World Cup roster being announced soon, it’s time to predict who will be representing The Indomitable Lions in South Africa.

GOALKEEPERS: 

ON THE PLANE: Carlos Kameni (Espanyol), Guy N'Dy Assembe (Valenciennes), Hamidou Souleymanou (Kayserispor)

ON THE BUBBLE: Joslain Mayebi (Beitar Jerusalem)

ANALYSIS: Kameni, the longtime goalkeeper for Spanish La Liga side Espanyol, is Cameroon’s first choice to defend the back of the net. Having made his first International cap at the age of 17, and selected to the 2002 FIFA World Cup at the age of 18, Kameni, now 26, is a young veteran presence with enough big games under his belt to not crumble under pressure on the world stage.

Assembe and Souleymanou are both solid backup options to Kameni, and Mayebi, out of the Ligat Toto, has an outside shot looking in, and will only be called upon due to injury. 

DEFENDERS:

ON THE PLANE: Benoît Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham), Rigobert Song (Trabzonspor), Geremi Njitap (Ankaragücü), Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham), André Bikey (Burnley), Aurelien Chedjou (Lille), Nicolas Nkoulou (Monaco)

ON THE BUBBLE: Henri Bedimo (RC Lens), Pierre Womé (Köln), Timothée Atouba (Ajax), Marcel Ndjeng (Augsburg), Armand Deum (Gaziantepspor)

ANALYSIS: The greatest depth on the Cameroonian side lies in its defense. With Assou-Ekotto, Bassong, and Bikey playing in the Barclays Premier League last season, facing off against world-class strikers won’t be anything new.

Rigobert Song, the most capped player in Cameroon history is starting to show his age, but with his knowledge and experience playing on the world stage (playing in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cups) he could wind up becoming a difference maker. Expect Cameroon to bring in additional defenders who are on the bubble to training camp.

MIDFIELDERS:

ON THE PLANE: Alexandre Song (Arsenal), Joël Matip (Schalke), Jean Makoun (Lyon), Stephane Mbia (Marseille), Georges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern), Enoh Eyong (Ajax), Landry N'Guémo (Celtic), Achille Emana (Real Betis), Somen A Tchoyi (Salzburg)

ON THE BUBBLE: Daniel Ngom Kome (Tenerife), Gilles Binya (Neuchâtel Xamax)

ANALYSIS: Alexandre Song is fast becoming a world-class defensive midfielder. The 22 year old regular for Arsenal was the only Cameroonian named to the 2010 African Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament. Matip is another one of Cameroon’s young prospects, at only 18 and having only one international appearance to his name, he could be one of the surprise breakout candidates of the tournament if given proper playing time.

Don’t be surprised if Daniel Ngom Kome sneaks onto the final roster to South Africa, as he’s currently playing in the Spanish La Liga, and has been solid in his 35 appearances on the national team.

FORWARDS:

ON THE PLANE: Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan), Paul Alo'o (Nancy), Pierre Webó (Mallorca), Mohamadou Idrissou (Freiburg)

ON THE BUBBLE: Albert Meyong Zé (Braga)

ANALYSIS: As I mentioned in my World Cup preview for Cameroon, Samuel Eto'o is the heart and soul of The Indomitable Lions, and is their most recognizable player. The Internazionale striker is set to play in the Champions League final for the second time in a row (last year with Barcelona) on May 22.

As Eto'o goes, so does The Indomitable Lions, and they need a world-class performance by their superstar to make a deep run in the cup. Paul Alo'o and Pierre Webó will most likely split time opposite Eto’o, and Idrissou will likely be brought on board for depth. Albert Meyong Zé is on the outside looking in.

2010 WORLD CUP PREVIEW: CAMEROON

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup being the first on African soil, Cameroon will head to South Africa as a nation determined to live up to the lofty hopes and dreams of an entire continent.

Having been handed an extremely easy group in qualifying for South Africa—with the likes of Gabon, Togo, and Morocco, Cameroon coasted through qualification and won their group with relative ease.

SCHEDULE

Japan: June 14

Denmark: June 19

Netherlands: June 24

However, the draw for the World Cup group stage isn’t as kind to The Indomitable Lions. Paired with Japan, Denmark, and the Netherlands, the road to the round of 16 will be very challenging.

They take on Japan first on the sixth overall day of the tournament, before a showdown with Denmark five days later. Their last fixture sees them face The Netherlands in Cape Town in what could be for a place in the knockout stage.

While massive travel and altitude concerns could be a factor in the upcoming World Cup, they shouldn’t have as much of an effect on Cameroon. While they have fixtures in Bloemfontein, Pretoria, and Cape Town, respectively, the Indomitable Lions will have a home-field advantage of sorts in every match as they are representing African soccer to the rest of the world.

Expect each match to be hotly contested, as each team in the group will have realistic expectations to advance to the knockout stage.

KEY PLAYERS

Samuel Eto'o is the heart and soul of the Indomitable Lions. The Internazionale striker is one of the world’s most prolific goal scorers, having achieved Champions League glory, and scoring the opening goal for Barcelona in the 2009 final against Manchester United, before making the move to the Serie A over the summer. However, as Eto'o is once again in the Champions League final with Inter Milan on May 22, concerns over potential injury have to be taken into account, as he will be laying it on the line for European glory.

Manager Paul Le Guen will have other solid attacking threats as well, namely Pierre Webó, and Paul Alo'o.

Defensively, Cameroon has solid players with extensive European experiance.

They are armed with the likes of Alexandre Song of Arsenal, Benoît Assou-Ekotto of Tottenham, André Bikey of Burnley, Rigobert Song of Trabzonspor, and youngster Joël Matip of Schalke. Combine these with Carlos Kameni of Espanyol, voted Africa’s best goalkeeper in 2006-07, and Cameroon, on paper, have what it takes to be competitive in their group.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Cameroon’s greatest strength is its experience, with the upcoming World Cup being their sixth appearance in the finals, the most out of any African nation. Additionally, with the aforementioned home-field advantage and favorable crowd that the Indomitable Lions will have, it very well might be the most important key ingredient to a magical World Cup run.

Obviously Cameroon’s main tactical strength is going forward with Eto'o. They have enough veteran players with European experience to trouble any team.

Consequently, the main weakness the team has is their concentration. In the African Cup of Nations earlier this year, Cameroon stumbled out of the gate before bowing out in the quarterfinals. No concentration lapses will be forgiven in South Africa.

IT WOULD BE A GREAT WORLD CUP IF

The Indomitable Lions can advance out of the group stage; compete in a tough Round of 16 match with likely Italy or Paraguay, and reach the Quarterfinals in what would match their magical run in 1990. Such a run would show to the world how far African soccer has come in such short time, and the team would become one of the media darlings of the World Cup.

IT WOULD BE A DISASTER IF

Cameroon go out in the first round. The group is far from easy, with perennial powers The Netherlands sure to advance, along with an extremely strong Denmark team, which topped their qualification group that included the likes of Sweden and Portugal, and a Japanese team with nothing to lose and is capable of picking up points.

MY PREDICTION

Cameroon may not be the sexiest pick to advance out of the group stage, but if there was ever a time and a place for a magical World Cup run, this would be it.

If the team can put aside their concentration woes and play smart soccer, the Indomitable Lions will secure a spot in the final 16. While it would be foolish to say that they will top their group, they have what it takes to advance, with star power and an entire continent behind them.