Cameroon Indomitable Lions wins the Carthage Eagle of Tunisia, 4 – 1 to qualify in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil
Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon
For the 7th time, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will feature at the highest level of world football, the World Cup. This time, it is the 2014 FIFA World Cup jamboree hosted by Brazil, the country of Samba dance and legendary footballer, Pele.
In the second playoff match for the African qualifiers for 2014 Brazil World Cup, Sunday, November 17 2013, the Indomitable Lions bashed their counterparts, the Carthage Eagle of Tunisia, 4 – 1 at
Eto'o Fils, Cameroon captain, shakes hands with Tunisian team
the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé. In the first leg game played Sunday, October 13 2013 in Rades, Tunisia, the Lions bugged down the Carthage Eagles to a zero all tie.
A 4-3-3 squad and strategy put in place by head coach, German born Volker Finke, will pay off at the beginning of the match as Achille Kwamou Webo, donning jersey number 15 opened scores at the 3rd minute of play. Webo, criticised by some observers of the Indomitable Lions redeemed a dwindling image after beautifully netting that opener. In the first leg match in Rades, Webo squandered a golden opportunity to put Cameroon in the lead.
Regaining confidence and a huge fan support from the more than 50,000 people that answered present at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, the Lions will punish the Tunisians with a second goal at the 29th minute with Benjamin Moukandjo concretising a solo move that saw him mesmerise five defenders before shooting into the Tunisian goal post.
The stadium came alive and the players of Volker Finke already looking forward to be in Brazil come 2014.
Forty-five minutes after, the first segment ended with Cameroon on a two goal lead.
The second half resumed with the Tunisians poised to be back in the game. Their offensive machinery made moves to destabilise the Cameroonian defence set up of; Aurelien Chedjou, Nicolas Koulou, Stephane Mbia and Benoit Assou Ekotto. The Carthage Eagles succeeded at the 50th minute of play as forward, Akaichi Ahmed, benefitted from a long range pass from the midfield and without any waste of time, shot into the goal post of Cameroonian keeper, Charles Itandje for the opener for Tunisia.
Though the Tunisians thought they could be revitalised by their goal, the Cameroonians rather grew conscious that they must go to Brazil 2014 and remobilised their game plan as coach Finke put in more pep by withdrawing a tired-looking Webo and introducing an inspired Eric Maxime Choupo-Moting at the attack line. The presence of Choupo-Moting was a good omen for Cameroon as he brought more problems to the Tunisians and creating more scoring opportunities. Choupo-Moting will missed a good shot of his that the Tunisian goal Posts stopped, but a purposeful and offensive midfielder for Cameroon, Jean II Makoun with jersey number 11, skilfully dribbled the Tunisian defence men and netted in the third goal for Cameroon at the 67th minute. An entire nation will explode with joy as the gate of Brazil 2014 was now open for captain Samuel Fils Eto’o and his co-players.
Samuel Eto’o who played at the offensive midfield position was more of an organiser for the Lions’ team, as he supplied some of the good passes for his fellow attackers to make the difference in favour for Cameroon.
A spirited Jean II Makoun will be back again on the score chart at the 86th minute, when he headed in the fourth goal for Cameroon, from a corner kick from defence-man Benoit Assou Ekotto. The Lions will celebrate with their fans at the Nfandena stadium, with Eto’o leading the dancing session, when the match had not ended.
This fourth goal bared the way for the Tunisians towards Brazil 2014, while confirming the coming of Cameroon, once more on the international and big stage football.
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have joined Nigeria and Ivory Coast to pick the third ticket from Africa to be part of the football jamboree in Brazil come next year. The Super Eagles of Nigeria had the first of five African tickets, Saturday, November 16 2013 at the stadium in Calabar, walloping the Ethiopians two nil, after they, Super Eagles, had crushed the Ethiopians 2 – 1 in the first leg playoff in Addis Ababa, Saturday, October 12 2013. The Elephants of Ivory Coast pulled a one all tie with the Senegalese in Morocco, after they had beaten the Teranga Lions of Senegal 3 – 1 in the first leg playoff in Abidjan, Sunday, October 13 2013.
On Tuesday, November 19 2013, the Black Stars of Ghana will play against the Pharaohs of Egypt in an empty stadium in Cairo. The Ghanaians are in Cairo to consolidate their earlier 6 – 1 bashing of the Egyptians. That will be a battle for the fourth ticket, while same day, the Algerians will want to turn the tides from the Burkinabes. In the first leg playoff in Ouagadougou, October 13 2013, the Algerians lost 2-3 to the national team of Burkina Faso. The Fennecs of Algeria need a goal without conceding to qualify for Brazil 2014, while the Burkinabes must hold on to their 3-2 victory to qualify. That game promises to be explosive come Tuesday, November 19 2013 in Algiers.
Cameroon will be featuring at the World Cup for the 7th time after their first experience in 1982 in Spain, 1990 in Italy, 1994 in the USA, 1998 in France, 2002 in Korea-Japan co-host and 2010 in South Africa.
