Saturday, June 4, 2011

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05.06. (Sun) 20:30 Egypt - South Africa

The Pharaohs face the dreaded axe and a win is a must

The seven-time African champions need nothing less than a win to get their 2012 African Cup of Nations campaign back on track when they host South Africa in a crunch Group G match in Cairo.

Hassan Shehata and his charges go into this match knowing that it is more than just three points at stake, as they could be eliminated in the qualifying stages of the competition they have won the last three editions of. Should the Pharaohs, who are currently bottom of the group with one point, manage to beat the high flying Bafana Bafana, their campaign will be resurrected with two more games still to play.

With this in mind, the Egyptian mentor admitted to the media that the games against South Africa will make or break their qualifying campaign.

“The first match against South Africa and the one coming up will be the decider of who goes to Gabon next year. We were not prepared as well as we should have been for the first game. The revolution made it hard for the players to arrive in their best condition, but we hope we will win this one,” he said at a press conference.

Already the north Africans have lost the first in Johannesburg and the second one in Cairo is immensely crucial if they want to defend their title next year. Niger’s game against Sierra Leone on Saturday in Freetown could well add pressure on the Pharaohs going into their game on Sunday.

Should Niger defeat Sierra Leone and the Pharaohs fail to beat Bafana Bafana, the defending champions will mathematically be ruled out of qualifying for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

This will be Egypt’s first competitive home match against South Africa. The two national teams have played each other twice in international friendlies in Cairo. The first, in November 2003, saw the North Africans win 2-1. The second was a warm-up game prior to the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, which Bafana won 2-1. However, Egypt went on to win the tournament, while SA were eliminated in the group phase.

A test of character awaits Bafana

South Africa’s visit to Cairo will definitely bring fond memories for midfield maestro Siphiwe Tshabalala, who made his debut for the national team five years ago coming on as a substitute for Lebogang Mokoena in the 61st minute.

Bafana Bafana defeated the hosts 2-1 in that friendly international match to prepare for the 2006 African Cup of Nations tournament, but this will be a different ball game all together, as three points are at stake and Egypt are facing early elimination.

This time Tshabalala will be in the starting eleven and might be donning the captain’s armband should Steven Pienaar fail a fitness test after suffering a knock in training. ‘Shabba’ was part of the Bafana team that made history by beating Egypt 1-0 in the first leg in March this year and his combination with Pienaar was magical on that night.

“It’s good to be back in the team once again, there is always the pride of playing for your country. This match means a lot to me as I will be returning to the place where I made my debut. Back then I was a youngster and I have grown in confidence and experience, and I am a lot wiser now. Even though I have travelled a lot with the national team, this will still be a different experience for me,” said Tshabalala to reporters.

Bafana are at the summit of Group G and the recent Fifa rankings that saw them propel to fourth position on the continent just behind third placed Egypt will definitely go a long way in boosting their confidence ahead of this titanic encounter. Pitso Mosimane’s boys will be looking to complete a double on a team that has no doubt dominated the continent, winning seven titles to be crowned Africa’s best.

TEAM NEWS

Egypt

Sometimes a win is all that is needed to pick up the chips that are down, and Mohamed Zidan, who just won a championship winners medal with Borussia Dortmund in Germany could well be the remedy for the ailing Pharaohs. Most of Egypt’s tried and tested players such as Ahmed Fathi, Wael Goma and Mohamed Nagy ‘Geddo’ are present, and they will have to open their archives of experience as it will be useful in this crunch encounter.

Probable Starting XI:
Essam Al Hadary; Wael Gomaa, Mahmoud Fathallah, Hani Said; Ahmed Elmohamady, Sayed Moawad, Hosni Abd Rabou, Hossam Ghaly, Ahmed Hassan; Shikabala, Mohamed Nagy ‘Geddo’.

South Africa

Injuries have robbed Bafana of some of their experienced stars that could well have been the difference in such a big game. Thanduyise Khuboni, who had a sterling game against Egypt in the first leg at Ellis Park Satdium in Johannesburg, will not feature in the game and Andile Jali or Reneilwe Letsholonyane will be his replacement. The injury to skipper Steven Pienaar is another major worry for coach Mosimane, but Schillo will have a late fitness test to determine whether he is fit to play or not. Bongani Khumalo is out with an injury, and his strength at the back will be missed.

Probable Starting XI:
Itumeleng Khune; Anele Ngcongca, Tsepo Masilela, Morgan Gould, Bevan Fransman; Andile Jali, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Siphiwe Tshabalal, Steven Pienaar; Katlego Mphela, Bernard Parker.

PREDICTION

This will be a make or break encounter for the north Africans, and they will definitely be going all out with the home crowd also expected to fill up the Military Stadium, but Bafana have proved that they are no pushovers. Sparks will definitely fly, but at the end of the day pressure on both sides could see them playing to a stalemate.

Egypt 1-1 South Africa

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05.06. (Sun) 19:00 Tunisia - Chad

Tunisia coach shows faith in local players

Ever since taking over the first team duties, Tunisian national team coach Sami Trabelsi has displayed an affinity towards domestic league players that is proving worthwhile. The former Club Sportif Sfaxien defender won the 2011 African Championship of Nations (Chan) with his local boys and seems determined to build the senior side around the youngsters that were victorious in Sudan.

Gone are the days when Tunisian bench-warmers in Europe would be picked ahead of those performing consistently in the north African country. From the early looks of things, Trabelsi is seeking to emulate Hassan Shehata’s successful strategy of relying almost exclusively on hungry home based players that are easier to gather for training camps.

This isn’t to say that foreign-based stars won’t get their shot with the Carthage Eagles. All it means is that Trabelsi has been more selective and scrutinizing with whom he picks from abroad than his predecessors were.

The Chad game will be the coach’s first match in 2012 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying and it is his job to clean up the mess in which Bertrand Marchand and the previous iterations of the Carthage Eagles have left the current flock.

Tunisia lost home and away to first time qualifiers Botswana, dropped a two-goal lead to Malawi in Rades, and could only muster wins against Togo and Chad. They are currently in third place behind the Zebras and the Flames, making a win against the Sao practically mandatory if they want to keep their Afcon dream alive.

The Sao have a long way to go

Sherif El-Khashab’s team have shown their limitations in qualifying, only managing to collect two points after six matches played. The low-point of the campaign was certainly the 6-2 away defeat to Malawi, but a 3-1 home loss to their next opponent, Tunisia, was hardly an improvement.

A physically imposing and aggressive team, Chad are now essentially in damage control mode and one expects that they’ll play to avoid another heavy away loss.

Despite not being in contention for a place in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, the Sao will nonetheless play a critical role in helping decide who claims the second qualifying spot in group K, given that they face both hopefuls (Malawi and Tunisia) once each before all is said and done.

No one expects a great deal from the minnows, but on their day they could prove a tough nut to crack for their remaining opponents.

TEAM NEWS

Tunisia

Both Fahid Ben Khalfallah and Karim Haggui are two of the first casualties of Trabelsi’s new selection policy. Both disappointed in a friendly loss to Oman and the coach has decided to send a message that a lack of commitment and motivation will no longer be tolerated. Meanwhile, Youssef Msekni has been left at the disposal of the Tunisian Olympic team while his older brother, Iheb Msekni, received his first call-up and filled in at his position.

Probable starting XI:
Aymen Mathlouthi; Walid Hichri, Aymen Abdennour, Khalil Chammam, Sameh Derbali; Khaled Korbi, Majdi Traoui, Ousemma Darragi, Iheb Msekni; Lamjed Chehoudi, Sami Allagui

Chad

The Sao’s main weapon is surely Ezechiel Ndouassel who happens to ply his trade in Tunisia with Club Africain. Ndouassel has adapted well to his new surroundings and is scoring important goals for the “Biancorosso.” Will this familiarity help him find the target in Sousse on Sunday?

Probable starting XI:
Armel Koulara; Sitamadji Allarassem, Mondésir Alladjim, Maigue Abbas, Armand Djérabé; Azrack Mahamat, Marius Mbaiam, Hilaire Kédigui, Leger Djime; Ezechiel Ndouassel, Karl Max Barthelemy.

PREDICTION

Despite playing with a largely experimental side, Tunisia recently downed the Central African Republic (CAR) 3-0 at home. Given the similarities in playing style between CAR and Chad, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Tunisia repeat the feat on Sunday.

Tunisia 3-0 Chad

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04.06. (Sat) 22:30 USA - Spain

DID YOU KNOW?

United States are currently ranked 22 in Fifa's world rankings, 21 places below Spain.
Landon Donovan, who is expected to start against Spain, is the side's all-time top goalscorer with 45, one less than David Villa.
USA's win over Spain in 2009 saw them reach the final of the Confederations Cup, which they lost 3-2 to Brazil.
Bob Bradley's face Canada, Panama and Guadeloupe in the Group C of the Cold Cup, starting on Wednesday.
Spain’s 2-0 defeat to the United States in the 2009 Confederations Cup was Vicente del Bosque's first loss as national coach.
Del Bosque is the only international coach in history to begin his tenure with 10 consecutive wins.
This game is the first of three friendly games for Spain this summer, with a meeting with Venezuela to come on Wednesday before a prestigious clash against Italy in August.
David Villa is Spain's all-time goalscorer with 46, but also holds the record for most goals for Spain in a World Cup (5, with Emilio Butragueno), most international strikes in one season (13) and most consecutive goalscoring matches (six).
Only three members of Spain's squad play outside La Liga (Fernando Torres, David Villa and Pepe Reina - all in England).
Even though Carles Puyol and Xavi are absent, there are 11 players in total from Spain's big two teams, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

USA (4-4-2):
Howard; Cherundolo, Bocanegra, Onyewu, Bornstein; Buddle, Bradley, Jones, Donovan; Altidore, Dempsey

USA are missing the industry of Stuart Holden in midfield, with the Bolton midfielder still sidelined with a long-term injury.

Fellow midfielder Benny Feilhaber also misses out in a game in which coach Bob Bradley will look to give as many of his players as possible a run-out ahead of the Gold Cup.

Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, the scorers when USA beat Spain in 2009, are set to start up front in a strong line-up.

Spain (4-4-2):
Casillas; Ramos, Pique, Albiol, Capdevila; Bruno, Xabi Alonso, Cazorla, Silva; Villa, Negredo

Coach Vicente del Bosque is set to include Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo, with his new club team-mate Manu del Moral expected to make his debut late on in Foxborough.

Midfielder Bruno Soriano is also in line for a start, meaning there could be three Villarreal players in Spain's starting XI.

Spain are without both Xavi and Carles Puyol, with the latter recovering from a knee operation and likely to be sidelined for the entire summer.

Prediction
With United States warming up for next week's Gold Cup, the home side are likely to have more of a competitive edge than a Spain team who are probably already thinking about their summer holidays.

Both coaches are set to experiment, but Spain's superior technical ability is likely to be cancelled out by a determined US outfit. With that in mind, a draw seems the most likely outcome here.

United States 1-1 Spain

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04.06. (Sat) 22:00 Portugal - Norway

DID YOU KNOW?

• Norway won the first Euro 2012 qualifier between these sides by one goal to nil in September 2010, thanks to a Erik Huseklepp winner on 21 minutes via an Eduardo mistake.

• That was Portugal's only defeat so far in this qualifying campaign, whilst Norway remain unbeaten in their four games at the summit and lead the Portuguese by three points.

• Portugal boast an impressive record over nine games with their Norwegian counterparts, with six wins, two draws and one loss, and are unbeaten at home.

• The biggest result from their previous meetings came on 12 June 1966, in a 4-0 victory to Portugal, which was also coincidentally their first matchup.

• Portugal did the double over Norway in the preliminary round of the 1968 European Championship, beating them 2-1 on both occasions, with Seleccao striking legend Eusebio scoring twice in the first match.

• Paulo Bento's side repeated this feat during the 1980 European Championship qualification process, winning 1-0 in Oslo and 3-1 in Lisbon.

• Norway's two draws with Portugal came both times in friendlies. They drew 1-1 in 1993 and 0-0 in 1994, whilst their last friendly meeting was in September 2003; a 1-0 win for Portugal.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS


Portugal (4-3-3)
Rui Patricio; Pereira, Carvalho, Rolando, Coentrao; Martins, Moutinho, Meireles; Ronaldo, Almeida, Nani

Real Madrid winger and captain Cristiano Ronaldo returns to the fold after missing his country's previous two matches against Finland and Chile with injury. Meanwhile, Malaga midfielder Duda reclaims his spot in the squad after an 11-month absence from the Seleccao, and trio Ruben Micael, Silvestre Varela and Andre Santos prepare to participate in their first competitive games for the Portuguese national team.

Norway (4-1-4-1)
Knudsen; Ruud, Hangeland, Waehler, J.A. Riise; Hauger; Huseklepp, Tetteh, Grindheim, Pedersen; Carew

No surprises are made in the squad chosen by coach Egil Olsen, as he is set to name a default line-up for this encounter in Lisbon. However, one new face is 18-year-old midfielder Markus Henriksen, who Olsen predicts will have a big future in the game.

Prediction

Portugal 2-0 Norway   

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04.06. (Sat) 21:10 Brazil - Netherlands

DID YOU KNOW?

Brazil are the most successful team ever as they have won five World Cups so far.

The South Americans were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup as Netherlands proved to be too strong.

Lucio is the most experienced player of the current Brazil squad with 97 caps.

Sao Paulo midfielder Lucas Moura is the youngest midfielder in this Selecao team at the tender age of 18.

Brazil are the defending champions at the upcoming 2011 Copa America in Argentina.

Netherlands have made it into three World Cup finals, but have yet to win the tournament.

The Dutch have not lost a single match since their 1-0 loss against Spain in the final of the 2010 World Cup.

Feyenoord youngster Georginio Wijnaldum is one of four Dutch players who could make his international debut on Saturday.

No player in this Oranje squad has scored as many international goals as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The Schalke striker has netted 26 so far.

Young midfielder Kevin Strootman was playing in the Dutch first division only six months ago.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Brazil (4-2-3-1)
Julio Cesar; Daniel Alves, Lucio, Thiago Silva, Andre Santos; Lucas, Ramires; Elano, Robinho, Neymar; Leandro Damiao

Brazil coach Mano Menezes will have to make do without the services of highly-rated attacker Alexandre Pato due to injury, while playmaker Ganso is not match fit either for Saturday's clash.

Experienced players such as Kaka and Ronaldinho have both been left out of the squad, meaning that Manezes will probably look to Neymar to provide the Selecao with some much needed creativity.

Netherlands (4-2-3-1)
Krul; Van der Wiel, Bruma, Mathijsen, Pieters; De Jong, Strootman; Robben, Afellay; Kuyt; Van Persie

Netherlands tactician Bert van Marwijk will be without several regulars on Oranje's South America trip as Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, Mark van Bommel, Demy de Zeeuw, Theo Janssen, Michel Vorm and Maarten Stekelenburg have all stayed behind in Holland.

This leaves Van Marwijk with a problem for the goalkeeper position as Tim Krul, Jasper Cillessen and Michel Vorm all have yet to make their senior debut for Oranje. Young Jeffrey Bruma could start alongside Joris Mathijsen in defence as John Heitinga has been plagued by injury in recent months.

Furthermore, Kevin Strootman could make it into the starting XI for the first time in his career.


Prediction
The Brazilians will be eager to make amends for last year's World Cup victory and are in full preparation for the upcoming Copa America. Netherlands on the other hand don't have much to play for as the trip to South America is not much more than a holiday for the majority of their players. This makes Brazil the sky-high favourites for Saturday's game and the Selecao are likely to come out victorious this time.

Brazil 3-1 Netherlands

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04.06. (Sat) 17:45 England - Switzerland

DID YOU KNOW?

England are undefeated against Saturday's opponents for over 30 years, a run which stretches back seven games.

Their last encounter came in Basel in September 2010, with goals from Wayne Rooney, Adam Johnson and Darren Bent sealing a 3-1 victory.

The two sides drew at Wembley in the group stages of Euro 1996, but England came out on top in Euro 2004 with a 3-0 victory.

Fabio Capello's first game in charge came in a 2008 clash with Switzerland, with goals from Jermaine Jenas and Shaun Wright-Phillips securing a 2-1 win for the Italian manager.

England and Montenegro currently top Group G on 10 points apiece, whilst Switzerland sit in third place and find themselves six points off the pace after facing defeat from both of the group's current leaders.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

England (4-3-3):
Hart; G Johnson, Ferdinand, Terry, Cole; Wilshere, Parker, Lampard; A Johnson, Bent, Young.

There has been a certain air of unpredictability around Fabio Capello's starting XI in recent outings, and with Wayne Rooney's absence through suspension, it is likely the Italian could start with a new look forward line.

Expect Darren Bent to retain his place at the spearhead of attack, having bagged his third goal in international football in March's 2-0 victory over Wales. Scott Parker received a widely acclaimed man of the match award in Cardiff, and is also set to start in the centre of the park.

Switzerland (4-5-1):
Wolfi; Lichtsteiner, Von Bergen, Grichting, Ziegler; Barnetta, Behrami, Inler, Fernandes, Shaqiri; Derdiyok.

Switzerland boss Ottmar Hitzfeld looks set to name the same defence that drew a blank away to Bulgaria in March, meaning Fulham defender Philippe Senderos may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Ex-West Ham winger Valon Behrami and former Manchester City midfielder Gelson Fernandes could feature in the starting XI, as Hitzfeld opts for a youthful squad in which defender Stephane Grichting is the only player older than 30, following the retirement of Swiss all-time leading goal scorer Alexander Frei.

Prediction
England games very rarely provide a footballing feast, and following a tough Premier League season for a number of the home side's starting XI, it is doubtful they will be relishing the game either.
The forward line of Bent and Young will provide pace, and if Wilshere is able to exploit the space they will create in behind the Swiss back line, it will be a comfortable victory for England.

England 2-0 Switzerland

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04.06. (Sat) 16:30 Cameroon - Senegal

The last chance to steer their destiny towards the 2012 showpiece

Cameroon have their backs to the wall as they confront Senegal on Saturday. A five-point gap needs to be abridged to revive hopes for their qualification to the 2012 African Nations Cup being hosted in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. They need to take revenge on Senegal for the 1-0 setback in Dakar during the third round, meant not only for advancement in their current campaign, but for national prestige.

Conscious of this, authorities and the FA officials have stepped up efforts across weeks to prepare for this significant meeting. Uncountable conclaves between the team’s technical staff and government officials, meant to expose and extirpate any imperfection, have been held.

The team’s Spanish coach Javier Clemente, his assistants and former Cameroon internationals including Roger Milla, have embarked on several reconciliation missions among the players, and to negotiate the return of others to the outfit.

Playing at home against Senegal is not really considered a plus by the Cameroonians, many of whom are still haunted by the memories of how DR Congo breezed in to hold them to a 1-1 tie in the northern city of Garoua.

Impeaching Senegal’s sharp attacking line – marshalled by top scorers Moussa Sow, Mamadou Niang, Papiss Cisse, etc, remains a top priority, but too much concentration on this may waste Cameroon’s focus of snaffling a three-pointer from the clash.

However, if the hosts are able to roll out the tough resistance and compact play pattern they attempted against Senegal in Dakar, the Yaounde meeting could bring joy and reshuffle the Group E standing in favour of the Samuel Eto’o-led team.

A chance to put the campaign to bed

With nine points in Group E, Senegal are hoping to close the race with an away win or at least a tie from the Yaounde battle, according to the Teranga Lions’ strong-willed coach, Amara Traore.

Sharing the spoils with Cameroon will put Senegal on 10 points with the central Africans still trailing on five. By then, Senegal would have vanquished their chief obstacle, with only Mauritius and DR Congo left in the group to contend with. Both teams were pummeled by the Teranga Lions in the first and second rounds of the qualifiers respectively.

Senegal have portrayed the best attack and defence so far across the three rounds, scoring 12 goals and conceding only two, but despite their 1-0 win over Cameroon in March, pundits have raised questions about some deficiencies in the defence and incoherence in the midfield, exposing some vulnerabilities which the Cameroonians could exploit on Saturday.

However, the spirit is daringly high. The whole nation is behind the team. President Abdoulaye Wade has offered a special presidential jet, Pointe Sarene, to airlift the entire contingent to Cameroon.

Officials of the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) have long been sojourning in the Cameroonian capital preparing the terrain for the team’s arrival and coordinating local fans to provide blasting cheers at the stadium for the visitors.

A number of pundits have tipped Senegal as a side capable of frustrating Cameroon, but others say the Indomitable Lions react more positively when they are pushed to the wall, which is their actual stance.

TEAM NEWS

Cameroon

After a relatively timid training session on Monday and Tuesday, the team had a full house on Wednesday with captain Samuel Eto’o’s presence, after his widely rumoured altercation with Arsenal midfielder Alex Song, who has been sidelined due to injury. Tottenham Hotspur’s left back Benoît Assou-Ekotto is still expected to show up at the Lions’ camp.

Squad
Goalkeepers: Idriss Carlos Kameni (RCD Espanyol, Spain), Guy Roland Ndy Assembe (Nantes FC, France), Charles Itandje (Atromitos FC, Greece)
Defenders: Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham Hotspurs, England), Benoit Angbwa (FC Anji Makhatch, Russia), Patrick Abouna Ndzana (Les Astres, FC Cameroon), Nicolas Nkoulou (AS Monaco, France), Gaetan Bong (FC Valenciennes, France), Henri Bedimo (RC Lens, France), Stephane Mbia (Olympique Marseille, France), Benoit Assou Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspurs, England)
Midfielders: Eyong Takang Enoh (AFC Ajax Amsterdam, Holland), Landry Nguemo (AS Nancy, France), Aurelien Chedjou (Lille OSC, France), Andre Ndame Ndame (Coton Sport FC, Cameroon), Benjamin Moukandjo (AS Monaco, France), Matthew Mbuta Andongcho (Crystal Palace Baltimore, USA)
Forwards: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Hamburg SV, Germany), Achille Webo (RCD Mallorca, Spain), Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan, Italy), Vincent Aboubakar (FC Valenciennes, France), Ngako Deutcha Duvalois (Sable FC de Batié, Cameroon)

Senegal

West Ham United forward Demba Ba has been confirmed unfit for the clash while Olympique Marseille defender Souleymane Diawara, who had been limping with a muscle injury, showed signs of recovery during the team’s one and half hour training season in Dakar on Wednesday.

Squad
Goalkeepers: Khadim Ndiaye (Linguère), Bouna Coundoul (New York Red Bull, United States), Pape Latir Ndiaye (USO).
Defenders : Boukary Dramé (Sochaux, France), Souleymane Diawara (Marseille, France), Kader Mangane (Rennes, France), Lamine Sané (Bordeaux, France), Lamine Gassama (Lyon, France), Cheikh Mbengue (Toulouse, France).
Midfielders : Kara Mbodj (Tromso, Norway), Moustapha Bayal Sall (Saint-Etienne, France), Rémi Gomis (Valenciennes, France), Guirane Ndaw (Saragosse, Spain), Mouhamed Diamé (Wigan England), Pape Kouli Diop (Santander, Spain.)
Forwards: Issiar Dia (Fenerbahçe, Turkey), Dème Ndiaye (Arles-Avignon, France), Mamadou Niang (Fenerbahçe, Turkey), Souleymane Camara (Montpellier, France), Mame Biram Diouf (Blackburn, England), Papiss Cissé (Fribourg, Germany), Moussa Sow (Lille, France), Dame Ndoye (FC Copenhagen, Denmark).

PREDICTION

The day’s pressure will hang more over Cameroon, who are in search of a compulsory victory to re-navigate their humdrum Afcon campaign and restore dignity to the Indomitable Lions in front of millions of local fans, while Senegal will be cautiously watching for chances to sting and get a result, but the hosts’ red-hot fighting spirit might make the difference.

Cameroon 2-1 Senegal