10 World Cup Questions: Cameroon

May 31st, 2010 | by: Daryl | View Comments

If you’re unfamiliar with World Cup Blog, then allow me to explain: The blog you’re reading now is the front page, but the core of WCB is the multitude of team specific blogs, including one for each of the World Cup 2010 teams.

The authors of these team blogs have forgotten more about their sides than I’ll ever know, so I decided to tap that knowledge by asking each of them a set of 10 questions. Today it’s the turn of Shane from Cameroon World Cup Blog. Read on to learn all about The Indomitable Lions, and no prizes for guessing the answer to the “who’s your best player?” question.

1. Who is Cameroon’s best player?
Samuel Eto’o. He’s Cameroon’s best player because he has scored a record 44 goals for his country, is the all-time leading scorer in African Cup of Nations history with 18 goals, helped Cameroon win the African Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002. He helped the Cameroon under-23s to an Olympic Gold Medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the nations first ever gold medal in any sport, scoring the equaliser against Spain in the final and netting in the penalty shoot-out. He won three straight African Footballer of the Year awards from 2003-5. When one thinks of a world class striker at both club and international level one of the first names that will come to mind is Samuel Eto’o.

2. What do you think of Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen?
He did a great job turning around Cameroon’s qualifying campaign but some poor squad selections prove fatal at the Nations Cup. I think Le Guen is a competent manager but he needs to select the best squad (ex. selecting Bassong), and he has been willing to try out numerous players to try and fix the defense. I trust him but not as much as I did pre-Nations Cup

3. What do you think of Cameroon’s World Cup 2010 kits?
I hate the color green but the home kit looks nice nonetheless, like the lions head on the shoulder. Like the away kit better because its not green.

4. What is Cameroon’s biggest strength?
They never give up, even when playing poorly they are in with a chance because they keep battling.

5. …and biggest weakness?
I should say central defense based off the Nations Cup but I’m assuming Bassong will start alongside N’Koulou which wasn’t the case in Angola and that should help. So I am going to say the lack of attacking flair in midfield. Aside from Achille Emana the rest of the midfield is composed of players like Mbia, Alex Song and Makoun who try to boss the midfield but can’t direct the attack. If Emana or Eto’o are not having a good day then the attack can become quite toothless.

6. If you could steal one player from any other World Cup 2010 team, then who would it be and why?
Xavi, it really shouldn’t need an explanation because he might be the best midfielder in the world and would solve the biggest weakness as no one directs an attack better from the midfield than Xavi.

7. Tell us one thing about your team that the rest of the world might not know…
Nicolas N’Koulou could be a breakout player provided the defense isn’t the catastrophe it was in Angola. He had a very strong campaign in Ligue Un for AS Monaco and at just 20 years old is already well on his way towards becoming the anchor of the Cameroon defense. I would expect him to be playing for a bigger club this fall.

8. What would you consider success/failure for your team at World Cup 2010?
Making it to the knockouts would definitely be a success with the quarterfinals probably being the best case scenario. Going out at the group stages would be a failure in my opinion despite this being a pretty evenly matched group. It could well be the last opportunity to play in a World Cup for stalwarts like Eto’o, Emana and Makoun and they will want to make an impression for the first time on the world’s biggest stage.

9. What are you most exited about at World Cup 2010?
I am always most excited about the African sides and that remains the case this time around. I particularly want to see who the break out players will be from the African sides. In addition to N’Koulou keep an eye out for Kwadwo Asamoah for Ghana who if he starts, which he should, will play his way to a bigger club than Udinese and also Gervinho for Côte d’Ivoire who has been in scintillating form for Lille.

10. Who do you think will win World Cup 2010?
I don’t believe a European side has ever won a World Cup outside of Europe, which if it holds true essentially means Brasil wins it. I think Europe’s failure outside the continent holds true especially as both Italy and France look much weaker than normal and it is probably four years too soon for Germany though I think they make it to the final anyway. Brasil over Germany in hopefully a better final than 2002.

- More from Shane at Cameroon World Cup Blog.

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