The Lions narrowly defeated the Leopards 1-0 in the away leg on Saturday.
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon got up to a good start in the campaign for the 2014 World Cup by grabbing the three points put to play on the first day of play of the qualifying series. Though the victory was hard to come by, it is a welcomed relief given the fact that the squad had been amputated of the major players due to sanctions and injuries. The Lions assured the essential beating the Democratic Republic of Congo1-0, with the salvation goal coming from Choupo Moting who has become the providential goal scorer since the suspension of Samuel Eto’o Fils.
Both teams were of equal strength and the breakthrough came from a spot kick after Choupo Moting was brought down in the penalty area, a penalty which he transformed to a goal at the 55th minute. The tempo of the match rose after the goal as the Leopards frantically fought to level scores but had their efforts thwarted each time by a majestic goalkeeper, Kameni. One remarkable feature of the match was the absence of the public from the Mfandena sports complex despite mobilisation carried out by a telephone company and members of the ‘Collectif Republicain’, offering free tickets to fans.
Cameroon won the match but the encounter revealed certain loopholes in the squad notably at the right back and attack line where the absence of Eto’o Fils was greatly felt. But for Choupo Moting Cameroon played without the usual fighting spirit that is reminiscent of the Lions and were not aggressive enough. Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo displayed a good tactical acumen circulating the ball at the back and sending long passes upfront to take the danger deep into Cameroon’s half and would have scored thrice had it not been to the acrobatic saves of goalkeeper Kameni.
However, the Lions have time to oil their machinery before the next World Cup qualifying encounter against Libya next Sunday, June 10, in Sfax-Tunisia. After the match, the Lions will return to the country to face Guinea Bissau on June 16, in the return leg qualifier for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Latest information from the Lions den, say, the coach, Denis Lavagne will formally sign his contract with Cameroon today.
