Lions rediscover their bite

CAIRO – Cameroon’s stunning football in the African Nations Cup has inevitably posed the question – how did they miss out on the World Cup finals? While the Ivory Coast, the team that edged them out of June’s global showpiece, have also made it through to the last eight they and fellow World Cup finalists Angola and Togo have been deeply disappointing.

With 3-1 and 2-0 victories over Angola and Togo respectively, Cameroon have firmly re-established their superiority over two of the June finalists while they could also add a third scalp if they meet Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals. Should hosts Egypt beat Ivory Coast and Cameroon get at least a point from their meeting with the impressive Democratic Republic of Congo then the rematch will be on.However, in stark contrast to the free-flowing and inventive football played by Cameroon, their lugubrious and placid coach Artur Jorge remains distinctly cautious.”We still have a match to go and we must keep together and play well,” Jorge said after the dismantling of Togo.While Jorge, who was the last coach to guide French giants Paris St Germain to the domestic title in 1994, remained firmly rooted to the ground another of his fellow coaches here exposed the impression Cameroon have made.”I would like us to avoid Cameroon in the quarter-finals,” Ivory Coast’s coach Henri Michel told AFP.”We are not afraid of anybody.It is just best to avoid the stronger teams in the last eight.It is a tactical thing, nothing more,” added Michel, who coached Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup where financial arguments undermined their campaign and they went out in the first round.All around the pitch Cameroon possess players capable of taking Ivory Coast apart even the latter’s star striker Didier Drogba does not measure up to Cameroon’s Barcelona superstar Samuel Eto’o.Contrary to Jorge’s pragmatic approach, 24-year-old Eto’o is in no doubt that the Lions are rediscovering their form.”Some of our movement was outstanding against Togo,” said Eto’o, who took his tally to four in two matches and to 22 in 48 internationals with a stunning strike for their first against Togo.”Obviously there are difficult matches to come and knockout stages are dangerous territory as we have found out before (they saw their hopes of a repeat in 2004 evaporate in the quarter-finals).”However I feel there is a spirit in the side that is both determined and resolutely one minded to restore our reputation as the best in Africa,” added Eto’o, who set up the second against Togo which resulted in an outrageous backheel by Albert Meyong.Champagne football, the only problem is that like the great Dutch sides of the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals and Brazil in 1982 sometimes it goes flat but the spectators here will be hoping that this time the cork only comes off after the final on February 10.- Nampa-AFPShould hosts Egypt beat Ivory Coast and Cameroon get at least a point from their meeting with the impressive Democratic Republic of Congo then the rematch will be on.However, in stark contrast to the free-flowing and inventive football played by Cameroon, their lugubrious and placid coach Artur Jorge remains distinctly cautious.”We still have a match to go and we must keep together and play well,” Jorge said after the dismantling of Togo.While Jorge, who was the last coach to guide French giants Paris St Germain to the domestic title in 1994, remained firmly rooted to the ground another of his fellow coaches here exposed the impression Cameroon have made.”I would like us to avoid Cameroon in the quarter-finals,” Ivory Coast’s coach Henri Michel told AFP.”We are not afraid of anybody.It is just best to avoid the stronger teams in the last eight.It is a tactical thing, nothing more,” added Michel, who coached Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup where financial arguments undermined their campaign and they went out in the first round.All around the pitch Cameroon possess players capable of taking Ivory Coast apart even the latter’s star striker Didier Drogba does not measure up to Cameroon’s Barcelona superstar Samuel Eto’o.Contrary to Jorge’s pragmatic approach, 24-year-old Eto’o is in no doubt that the Lions are rediscovering their form.”Some of our movement was outstanding against Togo,” said Eto’o, who took his tally to four in two matches and to 22 in 48 internationals with a stunning strike for their first against Togo.”Obviously there are difficult matches to come and knockout stages are dangerous territory as we have found out before (they saw their hopes of a repeat in 2004 evaporate in the quarter-finals).”However I feel there is a spirit in the side that is both determined and resolutely one minded to restore our reputation as the best in Africa,” added Eto’o, who set up the second against Togo which resulted in an outrageous backheel by Albert Meyong.Champagne football, the only problem is that like the great Dutch sides of the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals and Brazil in 1982 sometimes it goes flat but the spectators here will be hoping that this time the cork only comes off after the final on February 10.- Nampa-AFP