World Cup/Can 2010 qualifiers

Cameroon recently called up its international players for a training camp session that is to begin on May 25 2008.The training session is for the team to start getting ready for what will be a marathon of world cup and African nations qualifier due to begin on the 31st of May with the first match set for the Amadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde.The current qualifiers for the combine world cup/can 2010 qualifiers will begin with a total of 48 teams.There was a preliminary round to bring the number of teams to 48,from an original list of 52teams.The 48 teams have been divided into 12 groups of 4 teams each for the first round of competition.The winner of each group,together with the best eight runners-up will qualify for the next round of play.The last 20 teams will be divided into 5 groups of 4 teams each,with the group winners automatically qualifying for the 2010 world cup finals.The top three teams of each group,will qualifying for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations slated for Angola.It is worth noting,that as host nation,South Africa automatically qualifiers for the 2010 world cup.They still have to take part in the qualifiers though,to try and book their ticket for the African Nations Cup,which will be held in the same year in Angola.Cameroon,s current soccer coach is German born Otto Pfister who was controversially chosen over a list of five other more qualified candidates,shortly before the recent African cup of Nations competition that took place in Ghana.The current coach,is backed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports,while FECAFOOT,Cameroon,s football federations was strongly against hiring Pfister in the first place.They have been doing a lot since to undermine his authority.Recently,a commission headed by Cameroonian soccer legend,Roger Milla was formed,with the aim of looking for ways to ensure that the "Indomitable Lions",as Cameroonian nation soccer team is called,does not miss out on World Cup 2010 due to be staged for the first time on African soil, and hosted by the nation of South Africa.Cameroon is a soccer crazy nation,and football as it is called here is by far the most popular sporting activity.As we begin the count down to world cup 2010,let me throw in a little bit of history here.Cameroon has been African champions on four different occasions;1984,1988,2000 and 2002.They share second place on the trophy list with Ghana,the other four times African champions, and behind six times champion Egypt.On the world stage,Cameroon has participated in a total of five world cups final events,becoming in 1990,the first African team to reach the quarter finals stage of the competition.Cameroon took part in the 1982,1990,1994,1998 and lastly the 2002 world cup final events.That is a record participation for an African team.We have produced some great players, starting from the great Roger Milla, to recent Barcelona star Samuel Eto'o Fils.This two are bona fida world known soccer stars.For followers of the African game,a lot of people will remember the following football greats from Cameroon;Abega Theophile,Jean-Manga Ougene,Thomas Nkono,and Patrick Mboma.The above mentioned players have at one time or the other been voted "African player of the year".In the current qualifiers,we have been grouped along side Cape Verde Islands,Mauritius Island and Tanzania.May 31st 2008,two goals,one from each half sealed the victory for the indomitable lions on Sunday in front of a crowd of 30.000 at the newly renovated Amadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé.Captain Rigobert Song,opened the scoring barely 8 minutes into play through an Eto'o cross in.The second goal came in the 11th minute in the second half from the penalty spot.An Eto'o through ball was handled by the Cape Verde defense and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.Eto'o converted for the final score of the game.Final score line ;Cameroon 2 Cape Verde Islands 0.For the match,Cameroon lined up the following players,Goalkeeper:Carlos Kameni,Defenders:Timothee Atouba,Alexandre Song Bilong,Rigobert Song,Geremi Njitap,Midfielders:Modeste Mbami,Jean Makoun,Stephane Mbia,Alain Mosely Nkong(Achille Emana)90",Forwards:Achille Webo(Gustave Bebbe Mbangue)82",Samuel Eto'o Fils.In the second day of qualifiers for the combined World cup/African Nations cup 2010 competitions, Cameroon beat Mauritius Island by 3 goals to 0.The match which took place on the 8th of June in Mauritius was an easy one for the Lions.The first goal came in the 12th minutes of play from Andre Bikey.He was making his return to the team following a two match suspension handed to him for aggressing a first aid worker last February in the African cup of Nation's semi-final match between Cameroon and Ghana.Eto'o Fils made it two goals to zero in the 27th minute and substitute Gustave Bebe Mbangue completed the scoring with a goal in the 87th minute of play.Cameroon lined up the following players for the game.Idriss Kameni,Timothee Atouba,Rigobert Song,Modeste Mbami(Giles Binya)86',Geremi Njitap,Samuel Eto'o Fils(Bebey Gustave Mbangue)68',Stephane Mbia,Alexandre Song,Andre Bikey,Achille Webo(Alain Nkong)87'and Jean Makoun.Playing in Tanzania on the 14 of june 2008 the Indomitable Lions camed out with a dissappointing 0-0 tie against the local side.This was the third day of matches counting for the combine World Cup/African Nations Cup qualifiers that are ongoing.Coach Otto Pfister is already under a lot of pressure, especially from FECAFOOT.If he continues to produce such results,he is not going to be around for too long.Cameroon still tops its group but the idea is to try and lock up the top spot as soon as possible.Now we will have to wait maybe to the last day of play to secure qualification into the next round.The Lion's task in this early stages of the qualification is not that difficult at all.For God sake we grouped with St. Mauritius,Cape Verde and Tanzania.We could get our junior Lions to breeze through this group.For the match Cameroon lined up the following players.Goalkeeper:Idriss Kameni,Defenders:Song Rigobert,Geremi Njitap,Timothee Atouba,Andre Bikey,Midfielders:Modeste Mbami,Stephane Mbia(Achille Emana)71',Alexandre Song,Jean Makoun(Gustave Bebbe Mbangue)63',Forwards:Achille Webo,Eto's Fils Samuel.On Saturday the 21 of June the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon defeated the Tanzanian national team by 2 goals to 1 in the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaounde,Cameroon.It was the fourth day of play for the combine 2010 World cup/African Nations cup qualifiers.The match was billed up to be a walk in the park for the Lions,but it did not turn out that way at all.Eto'o Fils opened the scoring for Cameroon in the 67 minute of play,only for the Tanzanians to come back with an equaliser in the 78 minute.A late Samual Eto'o Fils goal mouth tussle goal(89 minute) saved the Lions from an embarrassing draw.The Lions lined up the following players for the match.Goalkeeper:Idriss Kameni,Defenders:Rigobert Song,Geremi Njitap,Timothee Atouba(Haman Sadjo78')Andre Bikey,Midfielders:Modeste Mbami,Alexandre Song,Jean Makoun(Joel Epalle72'),Stephane Mbia(Achille Emana46'),Forwards:Samuel Eto'o Fils,Achille Webo.

Cameroon booked their qualification into the next round of play for the joined Can/World cup qualifications with a 2 to 1 victory over the Cape Verde Island. Goals from Achille Emana in the 51 minute of play and Alain Nkong in the 65 minute of play provided the difference. Samuel Eto-o Fils did not make the trip due to two earlier yellow cards. Geremi Njitap was absent, the official explanation being that he was not fit for the match, injury I would say.