The-Shot.Net Writers Club - Cameroon

Jan 25 1800 GMT Cameroon - Algeria 1:1 (final score)
Before the match:
Cameroon in their controversial outfits, and with a clear dedication to attack: Eto'o to bolt into attack from midfield position and Mboma and Idrissou as nominal strikers - Mboma central and Idrissou coming from the left wing.
1st half:
-a fast match with Cameroon seeking domination and Algeria seeking counter attacks
-('7) Cameroon are lucky that Algeria is not awarded a penalty when after a long ball Kameni makes a clumsy attempt to seize the ball in the air against an Algerian attacker
-Cameroon more careful in the following minutes, showing their famous strength in one to one challenges. Olympic hero Kameni in the Lions goal looks a bit overexcited.
-('15) and strong from setpieces: a free kick cross from the left is dangerously executed by Geremi on Mboma but the Algerian keeper makes a spectacular save against the deflected ball
-('16) Cameroon shift the number of attackers in front between one and three and have the Algerian defence outnumbered at a cross, but the North Africans are lucky the cross is mistimed
-('22) Eto'o with a sensational slalom through the Algerian defence, but eventually he shoots the ball from 10 meters across the bar - fantastic play
-('24) the trigger happy referee has already booked several palyers
-('25) a harmless Algerian 25m free kick is no problem for Kameni, Cameroon answer with a fast, eventually ineffective counter attack
-('26) Eto'o wth his next spectacular ride through the Algerian defence, this time his shot is blocked by the last defender
-Cameroon have control over the game know
-('27) Cameroon: Mboma header wide
-('32) Algeria: It doen't look like the Cameroonian defence has the same level of grip on the game as the midfielders: Algeria get dangerous by a corner kick
-the pitch is a littly bumpy and balls start to bounce
-('42) Eto'o almost scores what would have been one of the most spectacular goals ever: he takes a cross volley with his heel while lying in the air as if making a diving header
-('43) in the end it is Mboma who scores by a perfect header from a Geremi cross from the righthand side - 1:0
- before a sequence of elegant midfield passing had created the space in the Algerian defence. The goal will boost the confidence of the prominent striker who had not been a regular member of the squad recently
-('injury time) Cameroon threaten the goal again and Algerians have a lot to do to prevent them from a clearcut chance
halftime 1:0
Cameroon dominating, strong, dangerous. But in defence looking as if they will not be able to repeat their miraculous lock of Mali 2002 (no goal conceded in the entire tournament)
2nd half:
-('47) Cameroon get an unchallenged header after a corner, but no problem for the keeper
-('48) big error in the Cameroonian defence but Kameni races out and rescues, Song stops the second attempt with his foot. The ball bounces high and seems to touch his arm, the referee says it's unintentional.
-('51) Algerian corner kick. Cameroon look odd again. It is deflected and finds Zafour all alone with meters space around him at the penalty spot. He fires the ball into the net - 1:1
-Cameroon try to answer quickly but Algeria are fired up, with an enourmous boost in confidence, and seek attack, too. The Algerian fans, in big number, make it a home game.
-('58) Cameroun almost break through by a stylish play through Mboma
-('60) Cameroon: Eto'o plays it perfectly, breaks through on the right and when everybody expects a plain cross he passes back from the ground line to the edge of the penalty area where Mbami is all alone. But an Algerian defender manages to throw himself into the midfielders shot
-('63) Cameroon: Atouba replaces Tchato
-('67) Algeria try to surprise Cameroon with a ceative free kick, but after being challenged by Song Kraouche fires into the sky over Sousse
-('69) Yahia rescues against a dangerous cross by Idrissou
-('70) Cameroon: a header from a corner kick hits the crossbar (Atouba)
-('71) Cameroon: a perfect one, two between Eto'o and Mboma and Eto'o appears alone with the ball in front of the keeper but cannot beat him
-Cameroon hurry and put enormous pressure on the Algerians
-As we know it from the Lions they seek to make long Geremi (and Atouba) throw ins another dangerous weapon
-('74) Geremi is sent through but hits only the outside of the net from half right
-('76) the referee soon gives one of his inumerous harsh cautions to Mboma
-('78) Mboma(?) fires a free kick high into the sky
-('83) After some quiet minutes a dangerous Cameroon free kick from the right hand side. It remains unclear whether the referee has decided offside, hand ball or out against Cameroon and when he did it, but in the scene the ball is cleared from the line and hits the goalpost
-('85) Cameroon get dangerous again
-('87) Cameroon:
-('87) Algeria can stop Cameroon in the last moment for a corner
-3 ninutes injury time
-Cameroon pressure
-('90 2) Cameroon: Song fires wide from distance
-('90 2) the referee blows the whistle one minute earlier than signalled before
final score 1:1
A match that revealed all the strengths and weaknesses of the African champions: Cameroon with total domination in one-to-one, with total power in midfield.
But with few goals exploited from the many opportunities and on the rare occasions that the ball got into the Lions penalty area shaky in defence