RSS
ATOM
advertisement
World Cup Qualifying Preview: Morocco - Cameroon
Morocco need to beat African vice champions Cameroon to help themselves go to the African Cup of Nations in Angola. Meanwhile, the Indomitable Lions will try to secure their spot in South Africa.
|
Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
Nov 12, 2009 12:00:48 PM
Must Win
Group A was immediately christened 'the Group of Death' prior to the qualifiers, and Cameroon and Morocco were the sides expected to be slugging it out at the summit of the table. But if the Cameroonians disappointed at the beginning, they managed to come back into the race and are now vying for top spot.
On the contrary, Morocco have been disappointing. With one of the best pedigrees in African football, the Lions of Atlas were expected to show much more than they have achieved in this campaign. With a great deal of individual quality amongst the players in their ranks, nobody can understand how coaches Roger Lemerre, who has been deposed, and Hassan Moumen have both been incapable of getting good football out of these youngsters.
This Saturday will be the last chance for Morocco to make it to Angola - their chances of qualifying for South Africa were squandered a long time ago. If they win against the Indomitable Lions, they will still have to wait and see how Togo fare against Gabon. If the Sparrow Hawks triumph, the Moroccans will face a bleak immediate future and will undoubtedly see a great overhaul in their football organisation.
Destiny In Their Own Hands
The Cameroonians started off their campaign with a series of catastrophes, losing to Togo and drawing with Morocco. But thanks to two victories against Gabon and another one against Togo, Paul Le Guen's men are now back in top-shape and are in the driver's seat for South Africa 2010.
If they manage to win against the Moroccans on Saturday, Samuel Eto'o and his team-mates will make it to their second World Cup of the decade. This shouldn't be too difficult a task for them as the Cameroonians are showing good form at the moment under their new coach.
All in all, the equation is pretty simple for the Indomitable Lions. Should they win, the outcome of the match between Togo and Gabon is irrelevant. With one more point than their Panther neighbours, the Lions are in full control of their destiny. If they manage to stay focused, they'll be in South Africa.
TEAM NEWS
Morocco
The Lions of Atlas are in deep trouble. Captain Youssouf Hadji was not called up due to an argument he had with national team manager Hassan Moumen. The skipper criticised his coach for poor decision making, largely for benching him during the humiliating loss to Gabon in October. Aside from Hadji not being called up, Marouane Chamakh, arguably one of the best players in Africa is suspended and won't be able to play.
In the same situation are Mbark Boussoufa (Anderlecht), Abdeslam Ouaddou (Nancy) and Kamel Chafni (Auxerre) - three undisputed starters who are all injured and will leave Moumen with a severe injury headache.
Furious, the coach declared to the local press that these three players have abandoned the national team by sending in medical certificates.
Squad: Nadir Lamyaghri, Karim Fegrouche, Hakim Ait Bouleman, Chakib Benzoukane, Simohemed Oulhaj, Issam El Adoua, Mehdi Benatia Moutaqui, Khalid Sekkat, Zakaria Zerouali, Adil Hermach, Karim Al Ahmadi, Issam Erraki, Mohemed Chihani, Ahmed Demiani, Adel Taarabt, Nabil Dirar, Hicham Aboucherouane, Abdessalam Benjelloun, Moustapha Allaoui, Omar Najdi, Nabil Baha.
Cameroon
The Cameroonians have seen better days, but not since the last African Cup of Nations in Ghana. Once again, after a little transition period, Cameroon began to struggle. It has taken a new coach with a fresh approach and a good knowledge of the players to get them back on track.
Paul Le Guen seems like the miracle worker he really isn't. His way of letting the more talented members of his squad play together the way they did before has helped players like Achille Emana and Samuel Eto'o be more prolific and active in the national team.
The Lions are playing more and more like the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire, and if they are easily as star-studded as their orange counterparts, their style of play was far from being as flashy, until now.
Squad: Carlos Kameni, Hamidou Souleymanou, Georges Mandjeck, Geremi Njitap, Rigobert Song, Andre Bikey, Nicolas Nkoulou, Henri Bedimo, Benoit Assou Ekotto, Aurelien Chedjou, Alexandre Song, Eyong Enoh, Daniel Ngom Kome, Jean II Makoun, Stephane Mbia, Achille Emana, Landry Nguemo, Samuel Eto'o, Paul Alo'o Efoulou, Somen Tchoyi, Achille Webo, Albert Meyong Ze.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Morocco
Nabil Baha - Initially left out of the list, everybody is suddenly looking to the Malaga striker for answers. Hassan Moumen has declared that he has to do what Marouane Chamakh has not been able to do lately: score.
Cameroon
Carlos Kameni - Undoubtedly the best African 'keeper at the moment. Kameni has been excellent since he was 16, but the Espanyol stopper has been looking especially focused on the national team lately. This could be his first World Cup as a starter with the Indomitable Lions. If there is one player who can't wait to shine on the international stage, look no further than this man.
PREDICTION
Let me be clear and bold in my prediction: I believe there is no way Morocco are going to win this match. With five starters not reporting for duty and Hassan Moumen looking like a dead man walking, it seems almost impossible to motivate a team that was bad before their superstars left. Cameroon, on the other hand, are smiling again. And the Indomitable Lions are looking forward to Saturday.
Morocco 0-3 Cameroon
Massaër Ndiaye, Goal.com
Group A was immediately christened 'the Group of Death' prior to the qualifiers, and Cameroon and Morocco were the sides expected to be slugging it out at the summit of the table. But if the Cameroonians disappointed at the beginning, they managed to come back into the race and are now vying for top spot.
On the contrary, Morocco have been disappointing. With one of the best pedigrees in African football, the Lions of Atlas were expected to show much more than they have achieved in this campaign. With a great deal of individual quality amongst the players in their ranks, nobody can understand how coaches Roger Lemerre, who has been deposed, and Hassan Moumen have both been incapable of getting good football out of these youngsters.
This Saturday will be the last chance for Morocco to make it to Angola - their chances of qualifying for South Africa were squandered a long time ago. If they win against the Indomitable Lions, they will still have to wait and see how Togo fare against Gabon. If the Sparrow Hawks triumph, the Moroccans will face a bleak immediate future and will undoubtedly see a great overhaul in their football organisation.
Destiny In Their Own Hands
The Cameroonians started off their campaign with a series of catastrophes, losing to Togo and drawing with Morocco. But thanks to two victories against Gabon and another one against Togo, Paul Le Guen's men are now back in top-shape and are in the driver's seat for South Africa 2010.
If they manage to win against the Moroccans on Saturday, Samuel Eto'o and his team-mates will make it to their second World Cup of the decade. This shouldn't be too difficult a task for them as the Cameroonians are showing good form at the moment under their new coach.
All in all, the equation is pretty simple for the Indomitable Lions. Should they win, the outcome of the match between Togo and Gabon is irrelevant. With one more point than their Panther neighbours, the Lions are in full control of their destiny. If they manage to stay focused, they'll be in South Africa.
TEAM NEWS
Morocco
The Lions of Atlas are in deep trouble. Captain Youssouf Hadji was not called up due to an argument he had with national team manager Hassan Moumen. The skipper criticised his coach for poor decision making, largely for benching him during the humiliating loss to Gabon in October. Aside from Hadji not being called up, Marouane Chamakh, arguably one of the best players in Africa is suspended and won't be able to play.
In the same situation are Mbark Boussoufa (Anderlecht), Abdeslam Ouaddou (Nancy) and Kamel Chafni (Auxerre) - three undisputed starters who are all injured and will leave Moumen with a severe injury headache.
Furious, the coach declared to the local press that these three players have abandoned the national team by sending in medical certificates.
Squad: Nadir Lamyaghri, Karim Fegrouche, Hakim Ait Bouleman, Chakib Benzoukane, Simohemed Oulhaj, Issam El Adoua, Mehdi Benatia Moutaqui, Khalid Sekkat, Zakaria Zerouali, Adil Hermach, Karim Al Ahmadi, Issam Erraki, Mohemed Chihani, Ahmed Demiani, Adel Taarabt, Nabil Dirar, Hicham Aboucherouane, Abdessalam Benjelloun, Moustapha Allaoui, Omar Najdi, Nabil Baha.
Cameroon
The Cameroonians have seen better days, but not since the last African Cup of Nations in Ghana. Once again, after a little transition period, Cameroon began to struggle. It has taken a new coach with a fresh approach and a good knowledge of the players to get them back on track.
Paul Le Guen seems like the miracle worker he really isn't. His way of letting the more talented members of his squad play together the way they did before has helped players like Achille Emana and Samuel Eto'o be more prolific and active in the national team.
The Lions are playing more and more like the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire, and if they are easily as star-studded as their orange counterparts, their style of play was far from being as flashy, until now.
Squad: Carlos Kameni, Hamidou Souleymanou, Georges Mandjeck, Geremi Njitap, Rigobert Song, Andre Bikey, Nicolas Nkoulou, Henri Bedimo, Benoit Assou Ekotto, Aurelien Chedjou, Alexandre Song, Eyong Enoh, Daniel Ngom Kome, Jean II Makoun, Stephane Mbia, Achille Emana, Landry Nguemo, Samuel Eto'o, Paul Alo'o Efoulou, Somen Tchoyi, Achille Webo, Albert Meyong Ze.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Morocco
Nabil Baha - Initially left out of the list, everybody is suddenly looking to the Malaga striker for answers. Hassan Moumen has declared that he has to do what Marouane Chamakh has not been able to do lately: score.
Cameroon
Carlos Kameni - Undoubtedly the best African 'keeper at the moment. Kameni has been excellent since he was 16, but the Espanyol stopper has been looking especially focused on the national team lately. This could be his first World Cup as a starter with the Indomitable Lions. If there is one player who can't wait to shine on the international stage, look no further than this man.
PREDICTION
Let me be clear and bold in my prediction: I believe there is no way Morocco are going to win this match. With five starters not reporting for duty and Hassan Moumen looking like a dead man walking, it seems almost impossible to motivate a team that was bad before their superstars left. Cameroon, on the other hand, are smiling again. And the Indomitable Lions are looking forward to Saturday.
Morocco 0-3 Cameroon
Massaër Ndiaye, Goal.com
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
Thank you for your comment!
Please enter your name
Please enter your location
Please share your comment!
19 Comments
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
Capello remains one of the greats of the game
After tasting success wherever he had gone previously, the coach will look upon his time at Wembley as an incomplete job rather than a complete failure
-
Can Suarez repeat Cantona's grand comeback?
The divisive Uruguayan can look to history when he starts against United on Saturday for the first time since receiving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra
-
Key battles: Manchester United v Liverpool
The former Reds defender believes that the Uruguayan must put controversy to the back of his mind when his team face the champions
-
The importance of Champions League qualification
The Ruhr side's remarkable run in Europe's elite tournament saw their revenue unexpectedly soar last season, but some teams are structured to depend on such results to survive
-
Cartoon: Capello's managerial merry-go-round
Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us his unique take on the football news of the day ...
Advertisement
Advertisement
