By Michael Logan Nov 24, 2009, 4:52 GMT
Nairobi/Yaounde - When Cameroon take to the field in South Africa, of all the African teams they will be the one most burdened by history.
South Africa will mark the Indomitable Lion's sixth appearance at the World Cup finals since 1982, making them Africa's top representative at the tournament.
Cameroon's greatest World Cup success came in 1990, when a 38- year-old Roger Milla inspired them to become the first African team to reach the quarter finals.
After victories over Argentina, Romania and Colombia, England eventually ended the dream with a 3-2 win, but the Cameroonians won people's hearts, particularly Milla, who celebrated each of his four goals with a shimmy around the corner flag.
It is these memories of Milla and 1990 that the current crop of players will have to sweep aside to make their own impression.
Cameroon's record since 1990 - out in the first round in 1994, 1998 and 2002 and failing to qualify in 2006 - does not suggest that they will be among the most-feared teams, although an impressive record in the Africa Cup of Nations - two wins and a second place since 2000 - belies their poor World Cup form.
Their shaky qualifying campaign - they had to recover from a 1-0 defeat to Togo and a 0-0 draw with Morocco to qualify on the last day - is also not likely to set the top teams quaking in their boots.
But the Indomitable Lions have in Inter Milan's Samuel Eto'o, 28, a player capable of ripping apart any defence and at the back veteran defender Rigobert Song, who at 33 has an astonishing 131 caps, is still a dominating presence.
Song's nephew Alexandre, 22, has cemented his place as Arsenal's holding midfielder and, alongside Lyon's Jean Makoun, 26, could form a solid central midfield for his country.
Key to Cameroon's performance will be French coach Paul Le Guen, 45, who will be trying to provide the players with the tactical nous to mix it up with the top teams.
Le Guen took over Cameroon two games into the qualifying round and turned the campaign around, showing his man management skills by appointing prolific frontman Eto'o as captain in place of Rigobert Song without affecting the defender's performances.
The Indomitable Lions won four games on the trot, most impressively avenging their defeat to Togo with a resounding 3-0 win.
If they can carry the momentum they have built up under Le Guen into the finals themselves, then Cameroon may well just cause a few upsets.
The Coach:
Frenchman Paul Le Guen, 45, took over Cameroon in July, when the team had secured only one point from two qualifying games and made a huge difference. He came to prominence when he led Lyon to three consecutive French titles between 2002 and 2005.
However, Le Guen has struggled to hit the same heights. He was fired by Glasgow Rangers after only a few months and Paris St Germain refused to renew his two-year contract. He will be hoping to restore his earlier career sparkle with a strong showing in South Africa.
The Star:
Inter Milan front man Samuel Eto'o, 28, is Cameroon's deadliest and most influential player. As if being three-time African Player of the Year, scorer of over 100 goals in five seasons for Barcelona and the all-time top scorer in the Africa Cup of Nations isn't enough to make him one of the most fearsome forwards travelling to South Africa, captain Eto'o is not afraid to motivate his team mates by splashing the cash: he bought every member of the squad a watch worth almost 50,000 dollars following Cameroon's qualification.
Factfile:
Nickname: Lions Indomptables (Indomitable Lions) Founded: 1959 FIFA affiliation: 1964 Highest FIFA ranking: 11 - November 2006 Lowest FIFA ranking: 62 - April 1997 Previous World Cup appearances: 5 (1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002) Best World Cup performance: Quarter-finals (1990) Date qualified for finals: November 14, 2009
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