The match counts for the return leg second round qualifiers for the U-17 AFCON to take place in Zambia next year.
Cameroon will play host to Zimbabwe next Sunday in a match counting for the return leg of the second round qualifiers for the Africa cup of Nations in that category. In the away leg played a fortnight ago at the National Sport stadium in Harare, both sides separated on a virgin draw.
The encounter to take place at the newly built Bafoussam Omnisport stadium will therefore be a must win match for the U-20 Lions in order to qualify for the third and last round of the qualifying series. In order to obtain victory, the coach of the junior Lions, Ashu Bessong has summoned three professional strikers to reinforce the lion’s squad.
The concerned players are namely; Thomas Olivier Amang, Frank Landry Mikal and Eric Ayuk Mbu. Olivier Amang aged 17, plays for Norwegian club side Molde while Landry Mikal, 18 had an exceptionally brilliant season in the UEFA Youth League, playing 19 matches, scoring three goals and two assists. There is also Eric Ayuk Mbu aged 19 who plays for Bethlehem Steel in the United Soccer League, the third division in the United States of America.
He has two goals in seven caps to his credit this season and is not in his debut with the national selection as he had been called up before to play with the cadet team in the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations in that category in April 2015 but he turned down the offer, preferring to concentrate on his career in his club. This is therefore the second opportunity for him to put on the national colours.
The arrival of the three attackers takes the count to four the number of professionals called up to the squad after that of Hervé, Bodiong Andiolo of Paphos-Greece who had been earlier summoned to the den. Cameroon is seeking for their seventh participation in the final round of the competition and their best performance so far in the competition was in 1995 when they lifted the trophy.
Since then Cameroon has made five unsuccessful attempts towards repeating the exploit of 1995, ending up runners up four times and emerging third once. The ambition of the junior Lions therefore is not only to clinch a final round spot but also win the trophy or at least earn one of the four qualification spots for the World cup in that category reserved for the top quartet of the tournament.
