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Brilliance beats bungling Nigeria, Cameroon overcome problems to meet in final
Posted: Saturday February 12, 2000 12:40 PM
LAGOS (Reuters) -- Africa's two most entertaining and exasperating teams, Nigeria and Cameroon, meet in the Nations Cup final on Sunday, the talents of their players on this occasion having spoken louder than the bungling of their officials. Co-host Nigeria, whose players were locked out of their hotel rooms because of unpaid bills earlier in the competition and nearly rebelled after not being paid their agreed bonuses, has overcome its habitual problems thanks to the talents of Austin Okocha, Tijani Babangida and 18-year-old Julius Aghahowa. They have also benefited from the benevolence for the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which has punished repeated bad behavior by fans at the notorious Surelere stadium with light fines. Cameroon, victim of a shirt shortage in their first match, has played some world class football on the way to a first final for 12 years, confirming its resurgence with a 3-0 demolition of Tunisia in the semifinal. "Cameroon football is based on improvisation," said their French coach Pierre Lechantre philosphically. "I am trying to combine some French orderliness with their improvisation." The two nations bear striking similarities in soccer terms. Both have captured the imagination of the soccer world with their flamboyant style over the last decade, combining physical strength with deft ball control. At the same time, both have been plagued by off-field problems, many of which have occurred during major tournaments and ruined their chances of winning a first World Cup for Africa. Nigeria, champion in 1980 and 1994, at its best plays like world beaters, producing results such as a 3-0 thrashing of Bulgaria at the 1994 World Cup and a 3-2 win over Spain in 1998. Yet the team which Brazil most dreaded meeting in France bowed out of the competition at their demoralized worse, a 4-1 second round defeat to Denmark coming after yet another argument over bonuses. Their neighbor Cameroon, victim of a soap opera-like saga of bickering in the national association FECAFOOT, are equally unpredictable. The only African team to have reached a World Cup quarterfinal, the other side of their coin was demonstrated during a friendly in Costa Rica in 1996. Cameroon took the field 45 minutes late because of a disagreement between players and officials, then gave an inept performance as they crashed to a 5-0 defeat. The qualities of the teams were aptly summarized by Tunisia's Italian coach Francesco Scoglio. "Nigeria, for me, play Brazilian-style football. Cameroon are a complete team because they are physically strong, skilful with the ball and well-organized." Many of Europe's top clubs, including Real Madrid and Ajax Amsterdam, will be represented in the final, yet the match will be played in a stadium notorious for floodlight failures, pitch invasions and lax security. Neither team has any suspensions for Sunday's meeting, Nigeria welcoming back Okocha after a one-match ban in the semifinal. Borussia Dortmund's Victor Ikpeba, who fell out with coach Jo Bonfrere earlier in the tournament and was consigned to the substitutes' bench, may return to partner Arsenal's Nwankwo Kano in attack. Cameroon is likely to field the same 3-5-2 formation which began the last two matches, although Lechantre may be tempted to recall left-sided Pierre Wome now that he has recovered from injury.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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