Appearances: 5 appearances (Last appearance in 2002)
Current FIFA Ranking (As of March 31): 20
Captain: Samuel Eto'o (Striker)
Leading Scorer in Qualifying: Eto'o (9 goals scored)
Key Injuries: No significant injuries to note.
Key retirements since 2006: No significant retirements.
Team Overview:
The Indomitable Lions have been a notoriously underachieving World Cup squad. In their 8 appearances, they have only reached the second round only once. Their team is changed this time because of the addition of new coach Paul Le Guen. Under Le Guen, the Indomitable Lions have turned to a 4-3-3 formation that favors a heavy attacking style that has led to a growth in scoring. Eto'o was one of the leading scorers in all of World Cup qualifying with his 9 goals.
Cameroon cruised through qualifying by scoring 23 goals while only allowing 4 goals in their 12 games. They are one of the healthiest teams and have also not experienced a lot of change in their starting line-up since 2006.
Idriss Carlos Kameni is the man between the posts for the Indomitable Lions. The 26-year-old is a former African Goalkeeper of the Year and currently plays in the top flight of La Liga where he goes up against the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid every year. He's a solid keeper and won't be the weak point in the team.
Helping out Kameni will be his defensemen, led by 33-year-old center back Rigobert Song. Song is the most experienced player for the Indomitable Lions and was a former captain. Around him will Geremi Njitap and talented youngsters Nicolas N'Koulou and Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Cameroon will be counting on N'Koulou and Ekotto to stop the fast opponents because Song and Njitap are easily burned by the quicker players.
The midfield for Cameroon is a solid group although they are not going to wow anybody. The creative force for the Indomitable Lions is Alex Song. The 22-year-old was the only Cameroon player to be named on the team of the tournament for the 2010 African Cup of Nations. Jean Makoun is another player to watch in the midfield. He is a tough player and will tackle without mercy.
In the forward position, it's all about Eto'o, who I will get to a little bit later. Achille Emana and Pierre Webo will be the other two forwards, but they will not be relied on to do a whole lot. Webo is a promising player, but he needs Eto'o to draw the defense toward him so that he can succeed.
Player to Watch: Samuel Eto'o
There really is no question that Eto'o is the most important player for Cameroon. You could make the argument that he means more to his team than any other player does for his respective team. He is one of the best strikers in the world and is the all-time leading goalscorer for Cameroon. He's one of the fastest players on the team and is easily the best shooter. When he gets the ball, the opposing defense collapses toward him which opens up holes for the other two forwards, Emana and Webo.
Prediction: Second round loss to Italy
The final squad will not be announced until June 10 but here is a small list of players in the running to make the team.
Match Schedule
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