The Outlook For The 2010 World Cup

As the battle for spots in the 2010 FIFA World Cup (what some are referring to as

the African World Cup) heats up, Cameroon has found a new sparkle and confidence in their game. The Lions began Group A with a loss to Togo and ended with a no decision against Morocco.

That left them in a position they hadn't expected and certainly didn't want, right at the bottom of the pool. Worried about their chances, the national team decided to appoint a new coach, Paul Le Guen to take over from Otto Pfister, and the change has been simply amazing.

At the beginning of September, Cameroon was facing back-to-back games against division leader Gabon and they had absolutely no margin for error if they wanted even the chance at the Big Game in Johannesburg. As I'm sure you know, Le Guen managed to make a come back and won those games, giving the folks back home in Cameroon a new hope of making it into the African World Cup.

Cameroon's forward Pierre Achille Webo talked about his team's come-from-behind victories recently and says he is now confident that his team's future is in their own hands and they have a real shot at the tournament.

Even though he was excited, he also said that he felt that nothing was guaranteed and he needed to remain cautious lest people get their hopes up. It's still a long shot, he warned, but they now at least have a shot now.

Webo was also really excited about the new coach, saying that he is "a very professional coach." He went on to explain that the new coach seems to really have an intuitive understanding of the modern game of football. Webo explained that the new coach had taken the time to get to know his players and that made a real impact on the field when they were playing games.

One decision the new coach made, which Webo felt really had an impact on their chances was that he took away the role of team captain from Rigobert Song and gave it to Samuel Eto'o instead.

With memories still raw of their lost opportunity in the German World Cup back in 2006, the team is really nervous and does not want to see a repeat of that experience and so they are happy that Le Guen has been shaking things up and trying to get the team moving.

So will Cameroon make it to the African World Cup? Only time will tell, but with the new team spirit, it seems they do have a real chance.

by: Richard Cunningham

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