Can Ndtoungou’s Cameroon beat Uruguay?

Martin Ndtoungou, the head coach of Cameroon’s U-20 national team surely knows a thing or two about crossing the group phase of world tournaments. He has been part of the coaching staff of every Cameroon team that has crossed the first round of an international (non-continental) competition since 2000.

He was Jean Paul Akono’s assistant when Cameroon won Olympic Gold in Sydney (2000) and Winfried Schaeffer’s number 2 when Cameroon reached the final of the FIFA confederations Cup and lost to a Thierry Henri golden goal in 2003.

He then became the last coach to qualify a Cameroon national team to the knock out stage of an international competition when his pride of U-23 Lions reached the quarter-finals of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 (only to lose to Ronaldinho’s Brazil).

But his awesome record is in jeopardy.

His Cameroon team may be booted out of the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup on Friday if they do not defeat Uruguay in their last group game. They have dominated ball possession, shots on goal (and on target) and all other statistics but they have lacked creativity and their finishing is awful. Their only goal in Columbia has been from the penalty spot (Christ Mbondi actually missed the kick and scored from a rebound).

Whereas their defence seemed to be their strength at the Africa Cup in South Africa it is part of their frailties now. The right-back Serge Tchaha scored an own-goal to hand New Zealand a draw while central defenders Ghislain Mvom Beyo and Yaya Banana jumbled things to allow Portugal score their lone and winning goal.

That is hardly comforting ahead of a clash with a Uruguay team that showed creative promise in their game against New Zealand. They controlled play throughout the first half but were denied goals by the fantastic Oceania goalkeeper. After they conceded a brilliant goal, the young Celeste piled pressure with swift movement and short-passing.

Adrian Luna, their diminutive playmaker (1.69m) is one to watch tonight along with Matias Vecino (a sort of relay midfielder) and Camilo Mayada (who marshals their right flank). Their huge striker Cesar Texeira often gets involved by dropping into the hole between midfield and attack (as if he were a false nine) dragging central defenders and creating space for midfield runners.

The team elegantly switches from a back 4 to a back 3 with their full-backs, especially Captain Diego Polenta, displaying pace, technique and precision as very attacking wingbacks.

Can Ndtoungou weave magic out of his tactical hat to prevent Cameroon from losing against Uruguay tonight?

He seems to have planned his team to play in a diamond formation tonight with just one holding midfielder Frank Kom and a playmaker (engache) Mbongo Ewangue operating behind two strikers: Frank Ohandza and Christ Mbondi. Yazid Atouba and Herve Mbega are expected to alternate on the left and right flanks.

This is quite a bold move and demonstrates that the coach is aware his team lacks creativity and penetration from the centre. He had attempted a similar pattern 4-3-1-2 which often morphed into a 4-2-1-3   with Canon Yaounde’s Clarence Bitang as a playmaker in both formations against Portugal but that didn’t work.

I have my reservations about Bitang’s quality and am quite happy to see him starting on the bench tonight. But he wasn’t the only one who was at fault against Portugal.

The wide players didn’t do enough defensive cover while the central midfielders Kom and Nyantchou often seemed lost (not knowing whether to cover their central defenders or their rather attacking full-backs) during Portuguese counterattacks.

Hopefully, the coaches have fixed that weakness and have warned their youngsters that 4-4-2 diamond requires high physical fitness levels for the midfielders and full-backs that have to keep shuttling back and forth.

I must admit that it is rare to see Ndtoungou playing with one holding midfielder. He believes in building strong, compact, disciplined teams. He usually sets out his teams in a flat 4-4-2 relying on wide players to feed his strikers. He must have been irked by the output so far to go bust as it seems.

It would be interesting to see if he maintains that shape. It could be that one of his options is to switch to a 3-5-2 when Uruguay change to a back 3 as they often did against New Zealand. That may explain why he has selected the versatile Idriss Nguessi at right-back ahead of Tchaha.

Whatever the formations – his team must score goals today to survive.  His record of always making it out of a group phase is also at stake.

Enyimba beats Cotonsport 3-2 in Garoua

Enyimba football Club of Aba Nigeria have beaten Cameroon’s Cotonsport Garoua 3-2 in a CAF African Champions league game played in Garoua on Saturday.

The Nigerians were the first to hit the net through their striker,Uche Kalu, barely 9 minutes into play. Johnson Chidoze scored at the 40th minute for Enyimba to take  a 2-0 lead to half-time.

Cotonsport scored two minutes after recess. They equalised 20 minutes into the second half through substitute Seidou Idrissa who had spent only a minute on the pitch when he beat the Enyimba goalkeeper.

Enyimba were rattled for a few minutes after Cotonsport’s equliser but quickly re-grouped and recovered control of the game.

Kalu Uche scored the winner five minutes before full-time after dismal marking from the Cameroon team had left him alone face-to-face with goalkeeper Daouda Kassali.

Tactics

The game was tactically and technically uninspiring in its early stages. Both teams had flooded the midfield but few players could actually retain the ball and initiate interesting passing and movement. It was therefore no surprise that Enyimba’s curtain-raiser came through a free-kick.

After scoring Enyimba placed emphasis on pressure; maintaining a high defensive line which kept Cotonsport deep inside their own half. When the Garoua team managed to string a few passes, the player with the ball was harassed and forced to shoot from far.

Cotonsport’s coach had taken the decision to play Ousmaila Baba, a natural winger, in the right-back position of his back four. Baba’s natural attacking instinct meant he often shot forward like a wing-back which had a negative impact on the team’s overall balance.

With Baba sprinting forward,  one of the central defenders had to shift to fill his position and the ripple effect meant the leftback Sebastien Ndzana Kana always had to tuck into central defence creating an open space on the flank. The basically re-shaped as a (confused) 3-4-3 when Baba was attacking.

Enyimba’s right back benefited from this disorganisation and made a cross into the 18 yard for their second goal. The third goal also resulted from Baba’s forays forward. He had shot up front for an attack and lost possession. This left his flank wide open as the many tired legs in the Cotonsport side were unable to fill Baba’s space.

The Nigerian left-back had acres of space and time to hit a low cross into the six yard area where Kalu Uche was unmarked.

Poor Midfield

Cotonsport’s midfield was out of the game. Ndame Ndame who has been called up a few times for the Indomitable Lions, did little to convince anyone doubting how he could be preferred over  Shalke’s Joel Matip. He dribbled when he had to pass and mis-timed tackles every other time.

Joel Babanda and Michel Balokok would also have to improve if Cotonsport expects to perform as well as they did in the 2008 season of the Champions league when they reached the final.

Enyimba could have won with a bigger scoreline had their strikers not been wasteful, especially in the last minutes of the game when Cotonsport threw caution to the wind and attempted to get an equaliser by every means possible.

On the positive side, the Cameroon champions showed they had character by coming from two goals down to draw level. Maybe the return of their two players representing Cameroon at the U-20 World Cup in Columbia might be helpful when they clash with Al Hilal of Sudan.

Before then, their fans should hope that coach Lavagne re-works his tactics and ensures they have the physical capacity to play 90 minutes at a high level (not Cameroon league standard). They looked beaten and tired by the end of the game. (Playing at 3pm in hot, hot Garoua isn’t helpful either)!

Cameroon versus Senegal: Tactical Lessons Beyond Eto’o's penalty miss

Samuel Eto’o missed a late penalty that would have given Cameroon victory over Senegal and keep the Central African nation’s slim hope of qualifying to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations alive. The game ended 0-0 and the Indomitable Lions look certain to miss the tournament to be hosted by their neighbours Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. But on a purely tactical perspective it was a promising display from Cameroon – their most attack-minded performance in a competitive match in a long while.

Cameroon’s head coach, Javier Clemente, kept his promise to send out a team focused on attacking its opponent from the start.  The team included Benjamin Moukandjo, Vincent Aboubakar, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Samuel Eto’o who are all used as attackers in their clubs.

He organised them in a 4-2-3-1 formation (similar to the one used by Germany at the 2010 World Cup). Eto’o was the lone striker while the youngsters (named above) played as the “3″ behind him often interchanging positions. The shape gave the team width and penetration as the front four took turns to become de facto striker, “wingers” (cutting inside) or drop as a supporting striker (linking midfield and attack) given that the trio (Moukandjo, Aboubakar, Choupo-Moting) are all capable of unpicking opposing defences with ease.

The result was constant pressure on the Senegalese team from the first to the last minute of play; in a way Cameroon last did only in the 2006 Cup of Nations under Arthur Jorge and the early days of Paul Le Guen’s reign.

There were over a dozen corner kicks for Cameroon; not less than a dozen free-kicks at the edge of the Senegalese 18-yard box; and 7 clear goal-scoring chances (several of them one-on-one with the goalkeeper).

Sadly, the finishing was poor. Many of the shots were hit straight at goalkeeper Coundoul (who was preferred to (Calamity) Khadim Ndiaye).

Is it all about victory now?

MOVEMENT

The Senegalese have lashed out at the referee, who was far from excellent and gave a rather soft penalty to Cameroon. But the referee cannot be blamed for their complete tameness. Amara Traore had opted for a 4-3-3 which had a front three of Mamadou Niang, Issiar Dia and Moussa Sow. His intention was to have an extra man in midfield as opposed to the away leg in Dakar.

Yet, they were over-run by the movement Cameroon’s midfield 5 (if one includes the threesome that was supporting the attack) particularly the Enoh Eyong Tarkang and Landry Nguemo duet. Enoh sat deep mainly protecting his centre-backs while Nguemo peppered the Senegalese with hardworking box-to-box play that supported the attacking scheme set-up by Clemente (Aurelien Chedjou who was surprisingly left on the bench as a result of this formation, came on as a second-half substitute for Nguemo and added that penetration that was lacking in Dakar, as well).

The Senegalese had only one shot on target and it was from an off-side position.

Cameroon’s keeper, Carlos Kameni, was practically not seen throughout the encounter while his defenders - Amgwa Ossomeyong (RB), Nicolas Nkoulou (CB), Stephane Mbia (CB), Gaetan Bong (LB) – were rarely troubled. The full-backs (Amgwa and Bong) shuttled back and forth on the flanks to add with while Mbia had several opportunities to score with a header from Cameroon’s numerous kicks – but he hit the ball wide on many occasions.

The pressure, movement, passing, free-kicks and possession driven play from back-to-front came to nil because Cameroon were unable to score. A few fans got so bitter after the game that they attacked cars parked outside the stadium and clashed with security forces who tried to protect the players. It pains when a team doesn’t win and nobody wants failure. But there were positive lessons in that game which could serve as a great guide.

PROMISE

Beyond Eto’o and the penalty he missed – Saturday’s game was another preview of a promising new generation of Indomitable Lions. With the average age of the starting eleven being 22 (if you take away Kameni and Eto’o)  there is a foundation for the emergence of another great pride of Lions (including the likes of Joel Matp and Salli Edgar),  if they play under the guidance of a manager who is there to build and  is not under pressure to produce immediate results (which politicians want to use as distraction).

“A manager (coach) can only make a difference if he has a club that backs him, that is patient, that gives confidence to players and that is willing to commit to long-term. And in any case that doesn’t just want to win, but to win convincingly,” Arrigo Sacchi, the Italian master tactician, is quoted as saying in Jonathan Wilson’s book: Inverting the Pyramid.

The mistake that has been made in the past and which was repeated after the World Cup in 2010 was to go for the short-term (or victory now and at all cost) approach. Authorities and the media didn’t accept that the Indomitable Lions were (are) a team under construction (in transition).

They went into witch-hunting mode, comparing generations passed and present, and mis-managing (or over-reacting to) tensions between players in the squad. Many were oblivious to the fact that Le Guen had unearthed talented  but inexperienced players that had to mature and could not necessarily triumph at the World Cup or ride over the continent.

Upon the first hurdle (which was the 1-1 draw with Congo), the media and team administrators panicked and a chain of reactions has led to a collapse of what should have been a painstaking project.

An absence from the Africa Cup could turn to into an opportunity to build a solid and more conquering team. With less pressure to win a trophy, a good and passionate coach, discipline and better organisation, regular camps and sparring partners on every FIFA date available, the Lions would re-emerge as a force in 2012/13 in time for the World Cup qualifiers.

Wasn’t that the path that Senegal took after they were knocked-out of the race to the 2010 Africa Cup and World Cup tournaments?

Cameroon versus Senegal Tactical Preview (Part 2)

I have not watched Cameroon train and the media have largely focused on side-events such as the tense relationship between Alex Song and Samuel Eto’o – which makes it hard to discuss coach Javier Clemente’s plans for Saturday.

Nevertheless, the Spaniard promised a more offensive game. Does that mean he would change his personnel to accommodate more attack-minded players than in Dakar?

A few reports have suggested that he is planning a 4-4-2 with Eto’o and Webo as the strikers, while the young, Monaco based forward, Benjamin Moukandjo (or Valenciene striker Vincent Aboubakar) would be fielded on the right flank. Unfortunately, the reports have not stated if Henri Bedimo (who plays left-back at Lens) would continue as left winger.

Clemente talks tactics with Choupo-Moting at half-time of Cameroon v Senegal, Dakar, 26 March 2011

If Clemente has effectively opted for 4-4-2 it would mean a greater use of the wings to stretch the game but it would also require the wide men to put-in inch-perfect crosses and have the ability to take their markers in one-on-one dribbles à la Valencia (Manchester United) to create space and allow the forwards to take suitable positions.

With only Webo as a good header of the ball against a Senegalese defence of very tall and physical players, banging ill-timed high crosses would be a fruitless strategy.

That formation would mean one-to-one battles in the midfield as opposed to the Dakar game while the Cameroon full-backs will be bereft of the protection from and extra midfielder. This would expose them to the trickery and pace of the Senegalese wingers (who are actually attackers).

THREE-MAN MIDFIELD

Moreover, this would not solve the key problem that Cameroon faced in Dakar which was lack of penetration from the centre. Nguemo was supposed to act like a box to box mid-fielder to support Webo but it didn’t quite work out.  Eto’o often had to retreat into central midfield positions to link up play. It’s a shame that Clemente did not retain Somen Tchoyi. He could have done this very well.

Nonetheless, I suspect Clemente would keep the shape of the team close to what we saw in Dakar  and play in a sort of 4-1-2-3. Sadly, Assou-Ekotto who adds an extra attacking dimension from full-back is an injury doubt.

I have not seen them practice so I can’t say for sure what coach’s choices would be. Using the 4-1-2-3 formation, here’s how I would field the players currently at his disposal against Senegal to ensure defensive balance, penetration from midfield as well as width and incisiveness from the attack:

A back four of: Benoit Amgwa (RB) – Nicolas Nkoulou (CB) – Sebastien Bassong (CB) – Gaetan Bong (LB).  Stephane Mbia (CM) to sit in-front of the back-four; Aurelien Chedjou (CM) and Landry Nguemo (CM) working box-to-box. A forward trio of: Benjamin Moukandjo (right) Samuel Eto’o (centre) and Maxim Choupo-Moting (left). The front-men can always switch positions.

Choupo-Moting and Moukandjo regularly play as wingers in their clubs (though they are strikers) and are technically good to cut-in from the flanks into the centre of attack (à la Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Di Maria). They are tactically aware enough to drop deep to form  a midfield 5 once Cameroon loses possession.

Nguemo, Mbia and Chedjou play more defensive roles in their clubs but in the past (especially at youth levels) they played in advanced positions for the national teams. They have the energy to do the box-to-box roles that is required of midfielders in such a formation to give thrust and penetration to attacks like Essien, Lampard used to do in Mourinho’s Chelsea.

The system is built on speed and power and thus accommodates the type of players Cameroon currently possesses when played in the Chelsea way rather than the Barcelona format which lays emphasis on technique.

But, I am not the coach. It’s down to Javier Clemente.

Here is part 1 of this preview that focuses on Senegal…

Cameroon versus Senegal Tactical Preview (Part 1)

What can we expect from Javier Clemente and Amara Traore when the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon clash with Senegal’s Lions of the Teranga on Saturday in Yaounde? Both managers now know their opponents well after the teams met in Dakar last March.

Clemente, had opted for a cautious (almost defensive) approach which targeted a draw (in what often seemed as a 4-5-1) while Traore had set his squad for whole-sale attack with 4 strikers in a 4-2-4 system. The Senegalese won (1-0) through a 92nd minute goal by West Ham striker – Demba Ba.

When I watched the Senegalese team train in Dakar this week, Traore was testing three formations: the 4-2-4 he used in March, a flat 4-4-2 and a 4-3-3 (with insistence on the latter two which added extra men in the midfield).

Senegal line-up against cameroon on 26 March in Dakar

Several Senegalese coaches had noted after the 26 March game that Cameroon – playing with 3 midfielders – had over-run the Teranga Lions two men – Nguiram Ndaw and Mohammed Diame.  The Senegalese often ended in 3 v 2 (or even 5 v 2 when Samuel Eto’o and Henri Bedimo dropped deep).

What looked like the probable starting team now has Ndiaye Deme Ndiaye and Dame Ndoye on the flanks instead of Mame Birame Diouf and Papis Cisse as was in the first leg. Captain Mamadou Niang and Lille’s Moussa Sow (who finished top scorer in France with 25 goals) would play as the strikers.

Ndoye came on as a substitute (at the 57th minute) in the first-leg and helped to balance the Senegalese game. The striker who finished as top scorer in Denmark with 23 goals this season was able to transform himself into a winger – speeding down flanks.

When they switched to 4-3-3, Niang was on the left, Sow in the centre and Ndoye on the right. The tough decision here is whether Traore could afford to drop Papiss Demba Cisse to the bench.  Papiss finished second highest scorer in the German Bundesliga and is among the most prolific forwards for his country.

DEFENSIVE WORRIES

Spain based Pape Couli Diop (selected for the first time) was used in a midfield trio alongside Guirane Ndaw and Mohammed Diame when the coach practised 4-3-3. But when the team lined-up as a 4-4-2 (4-2-4 in attack mode) the preferred midfield duo was Wigan-based Diame and Remi Gomis.

Regardless of the formation, Traore and his staff insisted on resitance and running without the ball. They assumed that Cameroon would want to keep the ball in their desperation to score (and win). The Senegalese practiced short 15-minute sessions where they hadn’t the ball and had to continue running, and then burst into quick counter-attacks once they regained ball possession. The coaches insisted on speed and precision both in their passing as well as their movement.

The slight concern in this tight unit might be the defence that would need to gel quickly before the game. Two of the cogs from the Dakar game are absent: Pape Dhiakite (centre-back) and Omar Daf (left-back).

While many expected Marseille’s Souleymane Diawara to replace the suspended Diakhite, the coaches seem to prefer Lamine Sane, who played as right-back last time. Serigne Modou Kara Thioune looked likely to play as right-back while Cheikh Mbengue was tipped to start on the left.

But the Toulouse-based Mbengue who only recently chose to represent Senegal instead of France might miss the game. BBC Sport reported that football’s World Governing body (Fifa) says Senegal’s football federation has yet to apply for the players to change nationality .

Whatever choices Traore makes – the men that would line-up to protect the shaky goalkeeper (Calamity) Khadim Ndiaye would be different.

The Indomitable Lions must test the defenders’ lack of game-time together. Swift through balls on the ground and pace (from the attackers) to unsettle the huge central defenders, would be essential. Shooting from range would also be useful against Khadim -who has problems catching balls firmly. Eto’o or Achille Webo (preferably Choupo-Moting) should be prowling to punish these errors.

Click here for Part 2 that focuses on Cameroon

Assou-Ekotto and Bassong tell why some French-born African players drop France

Why is it that footballers  born in France , with French nationality and in some cases have even represented France at junior level choose to play for the countries of their fathers and /or mothers?

Whereas the commonly held response to this question is that these players don’t have the quality to be picked for France, Cameroon’s Sebastien Bassong and Benoit Assou-Ekotto have given an interview to the U.K. Guardian newspaper that could be a pointer to a more disturbing reason (for the French): bad integration of African and Arab communities in the French society.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong in their Cameroon colours

They explain that people from Arab or African communities face serious integration problems in France to the point that they develop strong attachment to their original and/or ancestral roots which may suggest why more and more of these young people switch football nationalities without difficulty.

“…coming from where I did in France, even if you had only one little drop of Moroccan blood, for example, you would represent it to the death. You would be fiercely proud of being African, says Assou-Ekotto who was born in France to a French mother and a Cameroonian father and proudly represents the latter nation.

Assou-Ekotto who grew up in Arras , France and now plays professional football at Tottenham Hotspur in London, says people in England are fiercely proud of being English even when their parents come from elsewhere and the society accepts that, which is a big difference to France.

His Spurs colleague Bassong concurs.

“Most of the players on the French national team come from rough areas and when you live there, your friends all have dual nationalities,” said Bassong , who played for the French U-21s before switching to play for the land of his father and mother.

When he was in the France Under-21 team, he gave an interview in which he admitted “my heart beats for Cameroon.” He did not play for France again, according to the Guardian.

“When you ask them (French players) where they are from, they will say Senegal, Morocco, Algeria…,” he added.

It is to be expected that the French would want to understand why players switch from France to other countries at senior level. At the World Cup,  there were nine players on other sides who had previously played for France, according to the BBC.

Cameroon’s squad at the 2010 World Cup included three players  who at one stage of their careers had represented France: Sebastien Bassong (French U-21), Gaetan Bong (French U-21 until 2010) and Alexandre Song (French U-16 in 2002).

However, the attempt to limit this trend was  poorly tackled by French Football Federation officials (including the France head coach Laurent Blanc) who digressed into near racial undertones during a meeting that was recorded by a member of the Federation, and  was leaked to the press igniting a massive scandal.

The French Federation and Sports ministry officials launched separate  investigations  while  the French National Technical Director, Francois Blanquart, was suspended.

It should be noted here that Blanquart was the coach of the France under 16 team in 2002 that included Alexandre Song and Frank Songo’o who today play for Cameroon as well as Samir Nasri of Arsenal who represents France.

Assou-Ekotto who, [unlike Alex Song (born in Douala) and Frank Songo'o (born in Yaounde)], never adorned a French national team shirt before choosing to play for his African nation, believes the French society has a bigger issue to address.

“France has, at its heart, a problem where it has been unable or unwilling to accommodate the sons and daughters of its former colonies, even though France benefited and enriched itself greatly from the relationship. That’s hard to accept and it’s what sits at the base of what is dysfunctional in France,” the left full-back told the Guardian.

You can read the original story published by the Guardian online here

Cameroon U-20: Beyond the Euphoria of Playing a Final

Cameroon’s U-20  national football team reached the final of the African Youth Championship where they lost to Nigeria on Sunday. At a time when most of the country’s national teams are faltering, it is easy for fans to be carried away by euphoria.

Cameroon supporters welcome Lions in Dakar on 24 March 2011, GF

Yes, the team was generally good – tactically well organised, disciplined, athletic and rigorous under the masterful leadership of Martin Ndtoungou Mpile.

Their primary objective was to qualify for the U-20 World Cup, which they did. In the process, they reached the final of the Africa Youth Championship (a secondary objective) and did their utmost to try to win it.

NO CREATIVITY

It is a functional team with Cameroon’s  trademark  mental strength and  fighting spirit (evident in their come-back in the final against Nigeria). They certainly made Cameroon media and fans happy via their victories.

However, a youth team is not essentially about winning; it is often about development.

For years now, Cameroon has had problems producing creative and skilful attackers, offensive midfielders and wingers. Unfortunately, this team did not reveal players who could potentially supplement the deficiencies of the senior teams in such departments.

Did we see  a potential Samuel Eto’o , Patrick Mboma and (I dare-say) Roger Milla in that Junior national squad in South Africa? No. The team was not clinical in-front of goal. They relied on set-plays (free-kicks and corners) to score except in the final when they had their backs to the wall.

The most promising striker was Ohandza Zoa. He has a good work rate, partcipates in defensive duties but he must improve his first touch, his positioning, the timing of his runs and his finishing. To his credit he did score two goals whereas the likes of  Jacques Haman, Toko Edimo and Tageu were woeful in this aspect.

In the 80s and 90s,  Louis Paul Mfede, Djonkep Bonaventure, Ernest Ebongue dazzled defenders on the African continent (and even on the world stage) with their displays on the flanks. Since they retired we have struggled on the wings with the notable exception of the period when Salomon Olembe and/or Lauren Etame Mayer – used their speed and power to outpace opponents.

Did we see new wingers from the junior team that competed in South Africa? Not quite.

Cotonsport Garoua’s Edgar Salli, who was used on the left and right flanks,  was surely Cameroon’s most brilliant player at this tournament. He seemed to be the best crosser of the ball (from open and set play). Yet he looked laboured at times and gave the impression of being a relay midfielder who had been stuck on the wing because there was no one else capable of doing the job.

In many ways,  Salli reminded me of Geremi Njitap who could play on the flanks but was originally (and naturally) a N°8. There was little to write home about the others who played on the wings.

MORE DEFENSIVE TALENT

Whereas the likes of Theophile Abega, Gregoire Mbida (Arantes), Tokoto, and (if we stretch it) Cyrille Makanaky used to weave creative magic in the middle of the pack to link to attackers, such players have gradually disappeared from our national teams. The closest we’ve seen since include Simo Augustine (in the late 1990s) , Marcus Mokake (who never succeeded to encrust himself to the team), Daniel Ngom Kome and Achille Emana (who dribbles but finds it hard to be effective).

Did we see people capable of holding the ball, creating the chance and make the right passes to Samuel Eto’o, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Vincent Aboubakar or even Ohandza in the future? No.

As noted repeatedly on this blog, the Junior Lions passed the ball well from defence to midfield; they effectively harried their opponents and recuperated the ball but the transmission in the final third of the field was awful.

In effect,  the best players in this Junior Lions  squad were the central defenders (Yaya Banana and Mvom Meyo), and the central midfielders (Eric Nyantchou and Frank Kom)  which follows a common pattern in the past 10-15 years : physical, athletic, never-say-die central midfielders and central defenders.

They will add to the dozen or more people who are currently ahead of them: Stephane Mbia, Nicolas Nkoulou, Sébastien Bassong, André Bikey, Enoh Eyong, Aurelien Chedjou, Georges Mandjeck, Jean Makoun , Landry Ngeumo, Alex Song, Joel Matip…etc

THE GAME PLAN

Many would argue that this is the typical Cameroonian player: big, strong, and mentally tough! It has been so, since Claude Le Roy (and western European coaches) took over the mantle in the national team as from 1985. It became even more the case when most of the development players (through football academies and newly created clubs) became essentially targeted to an international market  that requires big, physical, combative lads.

But it wasn’t so in the period of the Yugoslav trainers of the 1970s who worked to rebuild the national team through the local clubs. The process which led to the first qualification to a World Cup in 1982 and a first Africa Cup win in 1984 with a set of players who combined skill, power, creativity and improvisation.

It was Issiar Dia’s dribbles that broke the Lions’ defence for Demba Ba to score for Senegal on 26 March 2011 in Dakar. Who unlocks compact defences for Cameroon and picks the right pass for Aboubakar, Webo, Eto’o  and Choupo-Moting?

It is the second consecutive U-20  final that Cameroon is losing  and on both occasions the opponent rose to our physical challenge and had the additional spark and genius – Andre Ayew (Abedi Pele’s son) for Ghana in 2009 and Kayode for Nigeria in 2011 – to inflict harm (goals). Where are our creative men?

Maybe the take home message from this tournament is that Cameroon (technical directorate) needs to re-think its football to include style,finesse and flair to the steel that is already available; failing which, at best  we shall continue to be runners-up and at worst fail to qualify to any tournaments.

Nigeria beat Cameroon 3-2 to win Africa U-20 Cup

The Flying Eagles of Nigeria beat the Junior Lions of Cameroon 3-2 after extra-time to lift the Africa Youth Championship trophy on Sunday.

The winning goal was scored two minutes into prolongations after both teams had separated 2-2 following 90 minutes of football.

Nigeria had drawn first blood at the 74th minute when a rare error by Cameroon’s centre-back allowed  Nigerian striker Olanrewaju Kayode to beat  goalkeeper Jean Efala for the opening goal.

Kayode was to come back five minutes later to haunt Cameroon pushing goalkeeper Efala to foul him for a penalty that was scored by the tournament’s best goal scorer Uche Nwofor (4 goals).

The Lions’ never-say-die attitude  however got them back into contention for the title that has eluded them since 1995. Frank Ohandza shot from inside the box to reduce  the tally to 2-1 at the 82nd minute. Cotonsport Garoua’s Edgar Salli added a second at the 85th minute to take both teams to extra-time.

Cameroon, who were playing their second prolongation in the competition, lost concentration in the opening minutes of this phase of the game and conceded a goal scored by substitute Terry Enyoh.

It is the second consecutive U-20 Cup final that Cameroon’s Junior Lions are losing. They were beaten 2-0 by Ghana two years ago in Rwanda.

We’ll be back with an overview of the cubs’ tournament.

Cameroon to play Nigeria in Africa Youth Cup Final

Cameroon’s U-20  team qualified for the final of the African Youth Championships after they beat Egypt 4-2 in post-match penalty kicks in South Africa on Thursday.  The Lions will  face Nigeria’s Flying Eagles on Sunday to determine who suceeds Ghana as the champions of Africa.

After 120 minutes of tactically intense play, neither Cameroon’s junior Lions nor their Egyptian opponents managed to score a goal thus leaving the semi-final to be decided on a penalty shoot-out.  Egypt failed to score their first and second spot-kicks while Cameroon scored four of theirs.

The Egyptians were furious at the referee and his assistants, who ruled on two occasions that Cameroonian players  should re-take their shots which had been stopped by Egypt’s goalkeeper. The keeper was adjudged to have stepped forward from his line before Nyantchou and Yaya Banana kicked and missed. Both players scored on their separate second-takes.

Egypt has been Cameroon’s nemesis for years but the cubs’  head coach, Martin Ndtoungou Mpile,  had promised  to stun the north Africans who had beaten his side thrice in preparatory games ahead of this tournament.

“The Egyptian coach will be surprised on Thursday because we played the test matches without eight of our regular players. He has to know that preparation is one thing and the competition itself is another ball game,” Ndtoungou Mpile said.

Cameroon will be playing the final for the second time in a row. They were finalists in Rwanda in 2009 where they were beaten by Ghana that  went on to win the U-20 World Cup.

The Lions will be clashing with opponents they know well – since they beat the Nigerians 1-0 in a group game last week. But the Nigerians have since obtained two victories against the Gambia and Mali (semi-final) on a similar 2-0 score. They have one of the tournament’s best goal scorers -Uche Nwofor – with three goals.

Cameroon, on the other hand, find it  hard to score goals. They have scored only three goals since the competition started but they have the meanest defence (just one goal conceded).

Their disciplined, solid and very compact style was on display again in that semi-final  against Egypt.

The Egyptians rarely found space between the Cameroonian lines and all 10 outfield Lions fought for every ball – harrying their opponents like Real Madrid did in the first-half of the Copa del Rey final last Wednesday.

Central midfielders Nyantchou and Nkom were bustling with energy and their passing to the wide players was swift. But the final ball to the attackers was usually poor. The strikers Haman and Ohandza took their defensive tasks very seriously but sadly failed to make things work offensively.

Let’s see what happens in the final now. At least, Ndtoungou is on record that he plans to win it.

“We have come here to play. Our first objective of reaching the semi-finals has been achieved. Now we will focus on winning the semis and the finals,” he had told reporters before the match.

Africa U-20: Three Lessons learned from Cameroon’s 1-1 draw with Ghana

Cameroon finished top of their Africa Youth Championship group with seven points after scoring a late goal to draw 1-1 with Ghana on Sunday.

Midfielder Emmanuel Ewangue Mbongo headed home for the junior Indomitable Lions  after the Ghanaian goalkeeper completely flapped his outing to stop an Edgar Salli corner in the dying seconds of the game (92^nd minute).

On Thursday Cameroon will play against Egypt (second in pool A), while the Flying Eagles of Nigeria who finished second in Cameroon’s pool B (with six points) will clash with the Mali’s young Eagles (who topped pool A). These four teams will represent Africa in July’s FIFA Youth Championships (U-20 World Cup) in Columbia.

What are the lessons Cameroon may have learned from the game against Ghana?

Lesson 1: Cameroon’s benchwarmers can stop Ghana…

The Ghanaians, who are the reigning Africa U-20 Champions, scored in the 21^st minute of play but the draw means they finish with only 2 points, cannot make it to the semi-finals and will not defend their World Championship crown.

The fact that the Ghanaians were unable to beat what was essentially a second-string Cameroon team speaks volumes about Ghana’s  below average performance at this tournament.

Cameroon’s head coach, Martin Ndtoungou Mpile,  had made whole-sale changes in order to rest some of the key players to who had qualified the squad to the semi-finals (and by the same token the World Cup) by beating the Gambia and Nigeria on an identical 1-0 scoreline.

Eric Ngana replaced Efala Ngonguep as the goalkeeper while Yann Songo’o, Mbongo, Armand Ela Ken and Alain Bruno Bati started for the first time in the midfield. Christian Toko Edimo and Joel Tageu who had been bit-part players in the other games had an opportunity to prove their worth up-front. At the defence, Ghislain Mvom who had played against the Gambia and Nigeria as a centre-back started at a right-back while Vincent Bikala slotted in the centre of defence to partner Yaya Banana.

Lesson 2: But Cameroon’s benchwarmers are not great…

Honestly, the changes didn’t click. The team seemed out of its depth particularly in the first-half where the Ghanaians ran the show. Cameroon’s passing was really poor between and there was no coordination between the various parts. This was exemplified by repeated confusion between the centre-backs Yaya Banana and Bikala and their rather shaky goalkeeper.

Cameroon stepped-up their game once Ndtoungou Mpile decided to substitute Alain Bati bringing on Edgar Salli at the start of the second-half. Yet, the passing at midfield only improved when the coach brought in Nyantchou of Panthere Bangante and Jacques Haman of Cotonsport Garoua.

From the 70^th minute Cameroon piled pressure on the Ghanaians who scarcely crossed their half of the field and resorted to fouls. It seemed the arrival of the regular starters and news of Nigeria’s curtain-raiser in their game against the Gambia had sparked them into action.

Seeing that Cameroon only clicked when Salli, Haman and Nyantchou came on, it is clear that most of the players who were tested on Sunday will return to their bench-warming positions if the Lions have to make any impact in the semi-finals next week (not to mention the World Cup in July).

Lesson 3: Cameroon still has to work on scoring goals

The junior Lions created more chances towards the end of the encounter but as in the previous games their finishing continued to be wasteful.  The coaches would have to work on precision and target shooting before the next games.

The centre-forward Tageu was a real let-down. His midfielders served him with several through-balls but he was unable to make contact or proper use, often looking tired and heavy. Haman troubled the Ghanaian defence when he came on but it wasn’t uncommon to see him blazing wide ever-so-often.

Fortunately, the coaches had tweaked the formation from 4-4-2 to a 4-1-2-3 to ensure that Cameroon pressed high-up the pitch and pushed the Ghanaians to commit several fouls and concede about half a dozen corner-kicks.

Cameroon scored from one of these corner-kicks. It is the second Cameroonian goal to come from a set-piece. The Lions have scored only three (3) goals so far!!! It may not be worrying (for now) because of the sturdy defence and midfield but something needs to be done (for the future) about scoring goals.