Cameroon vs Zambia – LiveBlog

Cameroon got off to a bad start in Group C, losing 4-2 to Egypt. They need to put taht that right and they need to do it today. Zambia on the other hand got off to a good start, and will qualify from Group C with a win here. If they show up.

Cameroon 5 (Geremi 27′ Job 32′, 80′, Emana 43′, Eto’o 65′ (pen))
Zambia 1 (C. Katongo 90′)

Group C
Date: January 26
Kick-off time: 1700 GMT
Venue: Baba Yari Stadium, Kumasi

FULL-TIME Zambia crushed by Cameroon, but not disgraced. They kept going and going. Cameroon are back on track though with an impressive display, and Samuel Eto’o is now joint top scorer in Africa Cup of Nations history.

90′ GOAL!!! Chris Katongo gets one for Zambia, sliding in to meet a cross on the volley. Great stuff.

87′ Credit to Zambia for keeping going, but we’re pretty much just waiting for the whistle now. If Egypt have beaten Cameroon and Zambia have beaten Sudan then I can’t even imagine what the Egypt vs Sudan score will be later on. 100-0?

80′ GOAL! Another horrible defensive mistake from Zambia. Hachilensa tries to head it back to his keeper but ends up presenting Job with another open goal. Five nil.

78′ Mulenga gets away from Bikey with his first touch and goes for the top corner. He would have got it too, if not for an impressive Kameni save.

76′ Idrissou comes on for Emana. Like Makoun, Idrissou was dropped after the Egypt game. This is all part of their rehabilitation.

74′ Little Christopher Katongo beats big Timothee Atouba not once but twice in the air and hits the bar before Uncle Song clears. From the corner there’s a crazy scramble and Makoun has to clear off the line. Zambia giving it some but there’s only fifteen minutes left.

71′ Nephew Song takes a horrible strike that screams “defensive midfielder.” It’s so bad that Samuel Eto’o actually gives Song a hug afterwards.

67′ Jean II Makoun is on for M’bami. Katongo comes close with a decent strike. Too late for Zambia now though. No bonuses for losing 4-0 either I’m afraid.

65′ GOAL! Eto’o dispatches the penalty. 4-0 to the Indomitable Lions and now Eto’o is joint top scorer in Africa Cup of Nations history.

64′ Penalty! Eto’o strikes the free kick he won and it hits a Zambia arm.

63′ Zambia wisely withdraw Chamanga before he loses it.

62′ Eto’o dribbles in circleson the edge of the box until someone fouls him.

61′ Chris Katongo tries to go past Uncle Song with pace, but Song uses a mix of his forearm and a perfectly time slide tackle to cut it out.

58′ And just as we’ve made that distinction we get to use it! Nephew Song gets in an almight pushing match with James Chamanga, and Unlce Song wades in to intervene. Ref calms it all down though. Chamanga not happy with Cameroon’s physical approach. He know this is a contact sport, right?

-to differentiate between Rigobert Song (captain, defender, elderly) and Alexandre Song (non-captain, midfielder, young) we’ll go with their famililal relationship. Uncle Song for Rigobert and Nephew Song for Alexandre.

54′ Bikey must be feeling sorry for Zambia so he passes straight to one of their strikers. Zambia fail to capitalise though.

51′ Chamanga contests a cross with Carlos Kameni, but forgets about the ball and knocks the keeper down instead.

-Zambia’s defending has been a weird mix of excellent slide tackles and horrible defensive mistakes.

46′ Emana is pulling the strings for Cameroon in midfield now. He plays a perfect ball through to Eto’o but Himoonde (the mystery sub I didn’t recognize earlier) makes a tackle.

45′ Half number two is underway.

HALF-TIME 3-0 to Cameroon at the break and the Indomitable Lions are cruising.

45+ Bakala gets a header at goal from a Mulenga cross. Nothing wrong with Kameni’s reactions though.

-Chansa appealing for offside, but he’s to blame for that goal.

43′ GOAL! Emana makes it three for Cameroon. Mistake from Chansa as he tries to cut out a Song pass and Emana, like Job, strolls through to score.

40′ Eto’o hits a Van Basten-esque strike from a wide angle that’s only just over. Eto’o still needs that one goal to be joint top scorer in Africa Cup of Nations history.

38′ Zambia make a sub. Ketani off for another defender. Think he’s injured.

36′ The legend that is Roger Milla can be seen in the stand, applauding a tackle from Song.

31′ GOAL! Mwanza – afer just making that brilliant tackle – kicks at a though ball and misses completely. Job can’t believe his luck as he runs through to score past Mweene.

29′ Mwanza stops Eto’o inside the area with a magnificent slide tackle.

27′ GOAL! But Geremi takes it and puts it right inside the post. Great free kick. Bend it like Njitap!

26′ Eto’o is lining up a free kick.

23′ Job nutmegs Nketani but then falls to the floor looking for a free kick. Get up man!

20′ Chris Katongo goes past Binya but gets pulled down. Zambia’s forwards all seem to have Cameroon’s defenders beat in a foot race.

18′ Job foolishly tries to dribble between two Zambian players and unsurprisingly loses it. But then he lashes out with a kick and is very very lucky not to see at least a yellow.

15′ Chamanga proves he can beat Song for pace. But then proves that crossing isn’t his strong suit.

13′ Nice little “mini-Zidane” turn from Chris Katongo (I think) to make some space. Doesn’t go anywhere, but looked good.

Zambia – Mweene, Niketani, Musonda, Mwanza, Hachilenza, Chansa, Bakala,Katongo (F.), Mulenga, Katongo (C.), Chamanga

10′ Job gets a cross in but Emana doesn’t so much head it wide as it hits him in the head.

9′ Now Mweene has got it together. He’s out to claim a ball confidently.

Cameroon – Kameni, Binya, Song (R.), Bikey, Atouba, M’Bami, Emana, Geremi, Song (A.), Eto’o, Job

5′ Zambia keeper Mweene fumbles on the edge of the area and Job nearly has an open goal to aim for. Luckily a defender gets back in time to block. Mweene is acting crazy though, he’s already kicked one clearance straight up into the air.

3′ Captain Chris Katango is back in the Zambia team. Chamanga gets a shot at Kameni but saved. Zambia look very lively.

0′ Kick-off. We are go.

-Good news! Just read this report that the Zambia player bonus row has been resolved after the powers that be coughed up the extra money. So we’re all good.

-Something to think about: if Samuel Eto’o scores today he’ll equal Lauren Pokou’s record of 14 goals at the Africa Cup of Nations. If he scores two he’ll become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.

Preview

Scout Report – Cameroon

Cameroon did not look good against Egypt. Apart from the obvious defensive problems associated with conceding four goals, they also looked very one dimensional, pinging the ball towards Samuel Eto’o and hoping he could do something with it. A smart defence, like Egypt’s, saw that coming a mile off and dealt with it pretty easily. Eto’o scored, but as overall plan it gave Egypt too much possession. It was also worrying that keeper Carlos Kameni – who some argue is the best in Africa – let in so many long range goals against the Pharaohs. Basically Cameroon need to avoide “doing a Nigeria” and need to make it happen in this game.

Scout Report – Zambia

Zambia probably weren’t three goals better than Sudan in their opening Group C game, but still won 3-0. They’ll definitely find a fired up Cameroon a tougher proposition that Sudan, but can welcome back captain and top scorer Chris Katongo, who missed the Sudan game through suspension. Katongo isn’t feeling like an underdog though “Cameroon may be four-time African champions but they will have to prove this against us on Saturday. They will have to fight for everything.

“In football today, there are no longer underdogs. We are not as famous as they are but we are hungry to also make a name for ourselves and one way we can do that is to beat them.

“The game is also not about raw strength. You have to be organised and play as a team so that after 90 minutes, you will have something to show for all the hard work.”

Inspiring stuff, but hard not to be concerned by reports that Zambia are threatening a team walk-out over bonuses. Apparently they were expecting a bonus of $2,500 each for the win over Sudan but the tight-fisted authorities only coughed up $2,000. Fingers crossed that all involved can put that behind them. If they do show, the little spat will either have demolished team morale or brought all the players closer together. We’ll find out at kick-off. If there is one.

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