Fans of Cameroon’s national team have lost faith in their team. The omission of a finishing striker like Bayern’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting did not help either.
Sportingly, Cameroon deserved to play the final at home. Not only did the hosts of the Africa Cup have more chances in the first half of the semi-final against Egypt, but they also showed for the first time how the team around Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah can be broken down. Fast, direct passing, aggression and a drive for goal, which most teams had lacked in the course of the tournament – including the Egyptians, by the way. But the final came to nothing, as three Cameroonian shooters lost their nerve in the penalty shoot-out.
The history of the Cup shows one thing above all: the host nation makes it to the final in almost half of the cases, and eleven times the host nation has even won the tournament. Now “only” third place remains for Cameroon, as was the case 50 years ago. Back then, in 1972, Cameroon had hosted the Africa Cup for the last time and won a minor final the only time – until Saturday. Twelve years later came the first victory, followed by 33 highly successful years during which the “indomitable lions” reached the final six times – and triumphed four times.
Mood on the ground
Once, 30 years ago, the team finished in 4th place. The mood was just as low then as it is now. The match for 3rd place went well with victory after a penalty shoot-out and a spectacular comeback, but in the eyes of the fans it is hardly worth anything, not even a consolation. This could also be observed in the spectators’ reactions during the semi-final. Some of them blocked the team bus, not wanting it to leave the stadium grounds.
Leaving after the first miss
The disappointment was also palpable when some fans left the stadium already after the first penalty was missed. This reaction shows: Confidence in the national team is lacking. It doesn’t help that Cameroon’s two top scorers of the tournament, Vincent Aboubakar (eight goals) and Karl Toko Ekambi (five), are neither from Egypt nor in the ranks of the other finalist from Senegal – and that despite the stars Sadio Mané and Mo Salah.
Choupo-Moting’s heading and finishing prowess was sorely lacking
Another whose name was often mentioned in the same breath as the two Liverpool stars before the tournament is Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. The 31-year-old and his heading and finishing ability were sorely missed, especially in the semi-final, but Toni Conceicao dispensed with the Munich man. Apparently, the coach prefers fast, agile wingers who specialise in counter-attacking. Choupo-Moting’s style is pretty much the opposite, yet neither his goal-scoring nor his finishing qualities can be denied. A substitution after 60 or 70 minutes would certainly not have done Cameroon any harm – whether in the semi-finals or the match for third place, where the coach had sent almost only substitutes onto the pitch anyway.
Federation President Eto’o hard to believe
Samuel Eto’o used to have these too? The president of the federation is hard to grasp, especially for journalists. He gives the impression of dashing from event to event and dribbling around interviews like the defenders of his opponents. However, even the former star striker of Chelsea FC or FC Barcelona did not seem happy at all about his compatriots’ elimination.
