Cameroon

In 1990, Cameroon advanced to the quarter final of the World Cup and were few minutes away from the semis but after Gary Lineker’s double, they had to return home. For 24 years, that result was not repeated.

Has Cameroon found the next Eto’o?

But throughout the years, hopes were still high, especially with Samuel Eto’o on board with the national team. Although he is a great striker and in top form was one of the best in the world, he did find it hard to play on the same level with his compatriots. He looked sluggish and tired of watching his teammates making easy mistakes and not passing the ball to him. That never happened on club level with the likes of Iniesta or Wesley Sneijder providing assists for him.

Now he’s not in his prime – his pace has deteriorated and that eye for a goal diminished. Vincent Aboubakar of FC Lorient might be one of the stars in that team and indeed in this tournament. Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic managed to score more goals in Ligue 1 than him. Aboubakar has enormous pace and should make his team’s attack more than one-dimensional.

Motivation the main issue

Although Cameroon has good players, even on technical terms, none of them are specialists in making the game faster – Jean Makoun and Alex Song are solid in midfield but they lack creativity. Same goes for Joel Matip who guided Schalke to a third place finish, but he did play in centre of defence – not in midfield like in the national team.

Stephane Mbia showed some creativity and attacking pedigree during Sevilla’s Europa League run but Volker Finke might want to employ him as a right back during the World Cup.

The German coach has few problems with assembling a proper back four and that is the main issue here – making his team defensively sound which will be task number one in this group.

It might be the last chance for Eto’o to guide his country to an international success. His teammates are mostly in the perfect age for footballers with the right blend of experience and youth accompanying. If they’re motivated enough to play for their team, Cameroon has a shot at advancing into the knockout stages.

Playing style

It’s neither attacking nor defensive football – Cameroon does not have the right players to play both styles. They often look slow-tempo and mediocre football, lacking a proper mentality. Volker Finke might want his team to play deep and be patient and careful with their build-up. Aboubakar’s lightning pace might be a good idea for creating chances out of counter-attack.

Coach

Volker Finke is more of a teacher than manager not only because he taught mathematics back in the days. He is responsible for making SC Freiburg what it is now – a young, talented group team with constant influx of homegrown academy players. He is capable of making Cameroon a pragmatic, successful team.

Schedule and BETEGY predictions

Group stage:

13th June, Natal: vs. Mexico (1-1)

18th June, Manaus: vs. Croatia (2-1)

23rd June, Brasilia: vs. Brazil (1-2)

This will leave Cameroon in second place with four points. According to BETEGY, they have a 38% chance of qualifying for the knockout stages, but they will lose to Netherlands 1-2 in the Round of 16.