Senegal are hyper-motivated at the moment. Few national teams on the continent exude the same level of confidence and determination the Teranga Lions display ahead of their face-off against historic football giants Cameroon. The reasons for this state of mind can’t be far from recent successes the Dakar-based team has reaped across the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifiers and international friendlies. Senegal is back!
Senegal sports officials took their time to reconstruct this new generation from the debris and lessons left behind by the awesome 2002 World Cup bunch. It was first the question of national pride and then the need to hire a hand that would labour out of sacrifice and not necessarily money, hence the choice of indigenous coach Amara Traore stood out.
The 45-year-old former Senegal international cool-headedly reorganized the outfit with no haste of winning matches or trophies, but to lay a foundation that would serve a nation. Gradually, a once-unattractive team began to pull in professionals who were both home-based and European-based. “The team and results first before personal humour and sentiments”, Traore ceaselessly inculcated into his new players, which seems to be paying off today.
Senegal have been brilliant in the first and second rounds of the AFCON qualifiers, beating DR Congo at home 4-2, and crushing Mauritius 7-0 in Dakar to sit atop Group E with 6 whole points ahead of close rivals Cameroon (4pts). The Teranga Lions nurse the ambition to continue to dominate the group by edging Cameroon this time as well in their backyard Sedar Senghor Stadium – the Lions from Cameroon are strong without doubt, but are currently away from their den and may feel vulnerable.
Coach Traore is conscious of the rich experience Cameroon can boast of, as well as their capability in defence of breaking up an almost finished work, but he counts mostly on a collective whole, where the midfield and attacking line almost seemingly merge while at work, to dismantle any resistance. It has worked many times in Senegal’s favour, but will it this time?
Now or never
Losing to Senegal is Cameroon’s greatest nightmare at the moment. It would almost announce the day of doom for Cameroon football. It would demoralize the players, the fans and the FA officials.
But worse still, it would endanger any chance of reaching the finals of the 2012 African Cup of Nations, to be held in their Central African sub-region. Imagine Cameroon not showing up at the Gabon/Equatorial Guinea 2012. They would never forgive themselves; hence the Dakar battle is turning to a do or die affair mostly for the Cameroonians.
Team captain Samuel Eto’o told France Football that his side will stage a rigorous outing to slow down Senegal’s momentum and re-launch a hopeful campaign, after Cameroon received a 1-1 shock in the second round while playing host to DR Congo in Garoua.
Coach Javier Clemente came under wide criticism in Cameroon after he published the roster for the forthcoming encounter. The Spanish coach had to readjust his list to include some players earlier ignored, such as Tottenham’s defender Benoît Assou-Ekotto, without convincing many though. The team also lacks the oneness that the Senegalese are enjoying in their set up.
Back home, many fans and pundits are not enthusiastic about tomorrow’s match. Perhaps they are wary of how well the Indomitable Lions are prepared to confront a solid Senegal side. Coach Clemente is therefore left to carry his cross and bear the responsibility of whatever spills out of the Dakar meeting.
Any Cameroon-Senegal clash is always a cracker, with Cameroon mostly having the upper hand, but hosted this time in Dakar it may not be easy for the Central Africans, even if they seem equal to the task.
TEAM NEWS
Senegal
The Senegal team is blessed with a full house. The team had its second open training session on Tuesday before 5000 fans at the Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium where the match will hold. Boukhary Drame, Issiar Dia, Demba Ba did not train with the group. They were undergoing osteopathic treatment, while Demba Cisse Papiss individually undertook fitness exercises.
The last member of the 23, Marseille’s Souleymane Diawara finally arrived on Thursday.
At a press conference on Thursday, team captain Mamadou Niang assured his side had a “bullet attacking line, and a solid defensive midfield” to counter the Cameroonians.
SQUAD
Goalkeeper: Khadim Ndiaye (Linguère), Bouna Coundoul (Red Bull New York, USA).
Defenders : Lamine Sané (Bordeaux, France), Jacques Faty (Sochaux, France), Kader Mangane (Rennes, France), Souleymane Diawara (Marseille, France), Pape Diakhaté (Lyon, France), Moustapha Bayal Sall (Saint-Etienne, France), Omar Daf (Brest, France), Boukary Dramé (Sochaux, France).
Midfielders: Mikaël Tavares (Middlesbrough, England), Rémi Gomis (VA, France), Guirane Ndaw (Real Saragosse, Spain), Mohamed Diamé (Wigan, England).
Forwards: Issiar Dia (Fenerbahçe, Turkey), Ndiaye Dème Ndiaye (Arles-Avignon, France), Souleymane Camara (Montpellier, France), Papis Demba Cissé (Fribourg, Germany), Moussa Sow (Lille, France), Diomansy Kamara (Fulham, England), Mame Birame Diouf (Blackburn Rovers, England), Mamadou Niang (Fenerbahçe, Turkey), Demba Ba (West Ham, England), Dame Ndoye (Fc Copenhague, Danmark).
Cameroon
Schalke 04 refused to release their midfielder Joel Matip who was sent a late invitation to join the Cameroon camp. Georges Nganyuo Elokobi of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham’s Benoît Assou Ekotto got permission from their clubs to make the Dakar trip.
The Senegal-Cameroon match will take place under tight police security. Senegal authorities have deployed 1000 policemen within and around the Léopold Sédar Senghor Stadium. A special escort for Cameroon's 21 supporter buses has also been arranged, to avoid trouble with Senegal fans.
SQUAD
Goalkeeper: Guy Roland Ndy Assembe (Nantes, France), Idriss Carlos Kameni (Espanyol Barcelone, Spain), Charles Itandje (Atromitos, Greece).
Defenders : Sébastien Bassong (Tottenham Hotspur, England), Gaëtan Bong (Valenciennes, France), Benoît Angbwa (Anzhi, Makhachkala, Russia), Jean-Patrick Abouna Ndzana (Astres Douala, Cameroon), Nicolas Nkoulou (Monaco, France), Henri Bedimo (Lens, France), Stéphane Mbia (Marseille, France), Benoît Assou Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur), Georges Nganyuo Elokobi (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Midfielders : Matthew Mbuta Andongcho (Chrystal Palace, U.S.A), Enoh Eyong Takang (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Landry Nguemo (Nancy, France), André Ndamé Ndamé (Coton Sport, Cameroon), Julien Momasso (Astres Douala, Cameroon), Aurélien Chedjou (Lille, France), Georges Mandjeck (Rennes, France), Benjamin Moukandjo (Monaco, France).
Forwards: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Hamburg SV, Germany), Somen A Tchoyi (West Bromwich Albion, England), Achille Webo (Majorque, Spain), Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan, Italy), Vincent Aboubakar (Valenciennes, France).
PREDICTION
Statistically, Senegal have a better chance of winning, but Cameroon are most times unpredictable in tight encounters, such as when they flew down to Cote d’Ivoire during the penultimate round of the 2006 World Cup qualifying and frustrated the Elephants 3-2.
Senegal 3-1 Cameroon
