The military national football team left the country on Wednesrday for Azerbaijan via Belgium and Turkey to take part in the military world football cup to take place in Baku from July 2nd to 23rd. The military lions are due to hold training camps in Belgium and Turkey before travelling to Baku where they will play their first match on July 3rd against the military football team from Brazil. The other opponents at the group stage include the Netherlands and Qatar.

According to the coach of the military football team, Bertin Ebwelle, the purpose of holding training camps in Belgium and Turkey is to enable the team prepare under the best possible conditions and gradually move close to the venue of the event so as to avoid a long and exhaustive journey at the 11th hour which could weigh on the players. In their last participation, Cameroon failed to sail through the group stage. The Military Lions have vowed to make the country proud by an honourable performance in the competition with the coach saying there might be a pleasant surprise ahead.

The training camps in Belgium and Turkey is a continuation of the training camp which lasted over a month in the country at the Fecafoot Technical Centre in Odza. After winning the African trophy twice in Cameroon and Uganda, the Military Lions emerged second during the last military Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, a performance that enabled them to clinch a spot in the World Cup. They also won the silver medal during the military Olympic Games in Hyderabad. The Military Lions are leaving the country with a resolve to sail through the group stage of the competition, after which they say anything can happen. Very few changes have been made on the squad that attained the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.