Cameroon TEAMS

World-Cameroon expect captain Eto'o to deliver goals
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YAOUNDE, May 20 (Reuters) - Cameroon will need Samuel Eto'o at the top of his form if they are to emulate their feat of 20 years ago when they caught world football's imagination with a run to the quarter-finals in Italy.

It remains the best World Cup performance by an African side and turned Cameroon, with their obvious joy for the game, into a team with global appeal.

In three World Cup appearances since 1990, the Indomitable Lions have been unable to get past the opening round, and they failed to qualify for the 2006 finals.

A missed penalty in the final minute of their last qualifier cost them a trip to Germany four years ago, but the side showed fighting spirit and determination to qualify this time.

After two matches of the final group phase, new coach Paul Le Guen was brought in to try to retrieve a precarious situation. He made several drastic changes to the team and turned to Eto'o to head the challenge of saving the campaign.

The often difficult striker enthusiastically grabbed the leadership role from long-standing captain Rigobert Song and inspired his team mates to win all their remaining matches.

Eto'o, who plays for Inter Milan in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich this weekend, will again be the source of inspiration in Group E when they face Denmark, Japan and the Netherlands.

He has a strong midfield to back him with Achille Emana, Stephane Mbia and Alexandre Song, who has emerged as the engine of the side.

Le Guen will devote a good deal of his preparation to shoring up a leaky defence that could prove a problem in South Africa, and several tough warm-ups await the team as he tries to iron out the problems.

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After glory with Inter Milan in the Champions League, Cameroon star Samuel Eto'o will skip a pair of exhibition matches before joining the Indomitable Lions in hopes of adding more hardwar

 World-Factbox on Cameroon


May 20 (Reuters) - Factbox on Cameroon who are competing in Group E at the World Cup in South Africa:

Colours: Yellow shirts, blue shorts, green socks

Nickname: Indomitable Lions

Previous World Cup appearances: 5: 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002

Best World Cup performance: Reached the quarter-finals in 1990

Coach: Paul Le Guen

Most capped player: Rigobert Song 135

Top goalscorer: Samuel Eto'o 42

Talking points:

Cameroon are a side in transit, coming to the end of one golden generation and hoping a new and similarly successful one emerges. The glue in the transition is Samuel Eto'o, the recently appointed captain who helped to drag the side out of a precarious position in the qualifiers and ensure a record sixth appearance for an African side at a World Cup finals.

Geremi and Rigobert Song are clinging on to their spots in the team but are now at the end of their long international careers. Others such as Jean Makoun and Stephane Mbia have not yet convinced that they have potential to become the new leaders of the team.

Players to watch:

Eto'o is the pivot around which the team revolves and has a chance to further enhance his status as one of the world's top strikers. Mohamadou Idrissou is likely to partner him. Alexandre Song will be the midfield general and Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong are key in defence. (Compiled by Mark Gleeson in Johannesburg; Editing by Clare Fallon



Trainer
Paul Le Guen



Goalkeeper
16 Souleymanou Hamidou
1 Idriss Kaméni
13 Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
Defender
4 Rigobert Song
8 Gérémi Njitap
2 Benoit Assou-Ekotto
6 Alexandre Song
5 Sébastien Bassong
12 Gaëtan Bong
3 Eyong Enoh
Midfielder
8 Gérémi Njitap
11 Jean Makoun
10 Achille Emana
2 Benoit Assou-Ekotto
6 Alexandre Song
5 Sébastien Bassong
7 Marcel Ndjeng
20 Georges Mandjeck
14 Aurélien Chedjou
3 Eyong Enoh
21 Joel Matip
Forward
16 Souleymanou Hamidou
10 Achille Emana
15 Pierre Webó
13 Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
23 Vincent Aboubakar
17 Mohammadou Idrissou

World-Penpix of Cameroon squad

YAOUNDE, June 4 (Reuters) - Penpix of Cameroon's 23-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa:

1-Idriss Carlos Kameni (Espanyol, Spain). Goalkeeper. Born Feb. 18 1984. Caps 55.

Was in the squad when Cameroon last played at the World Cup in 2002 and was an Olympic gold-medal winner with the under-23 side at the Sydney Games 10 years ago. A spectacular shot stopper who has been voted best goalkeeper in the Spanish league, where has been on Espanyol's books for six seasons. 22-Guy Roland Ny Assembe (Valenciennes, France). Goalkeeper. Born Feb. 28 1986. Caps 1.

Made his club debut a year ago after going on loan to Valenciennes. More regular action in Ligue 1 this season saw him selected by Cameroon as a back-up goalkeeper for the African Nations Cup finals in Angola. Made his international debut against Georgia in May. 16-Hamidou Souleymanou (Kayerispor, Turkey). Goalkeeper. Born Nov. 22 1973. Caps 40.

Longest standing back-up goalkeeper, who has been playing in Turkey for 10 years. He is a large, imposing presence and at 36 will be among the oldest competitors at the World Cup. 2-Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham Hotspur, England). Defender. Born March 24. 1984. Caps 7. Goals 0.

Left-sided defender who has helped his club to win a UEFA Champions League place for next season. Cameroon had chased him for several years but he preferred to hold out for a chance to play for France, where he was born to a Cameroonian father and French mother. Eventually debuted for the Indomitable Lions in March last year. 5-Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham Hotspur, England). Defender. Born July 9 1986. Caps 7. Goals 0.

Former French under-21 international who debuted at the same time as coach Paul Le Guen last August. The coach left him out of the Nations Cup tournament in Angola, sparking a few angry interviews, but Bassong seems to have done his World Cup chances no harm. 12-Gaetan Bong (Valenciennes, France). Defender. Born April 25 1988. Caps 1. Goals 0.

Born in Cameroon but brought up in France, where he spent his formative years at Metz. He is a former French under-21 international and debuted for Cameroon against Portugal on June 1. 14-Aurelien Chedjou (Lille, France). Defender. Born June 20 1985. Caps 9. Goals 0.

First capped last year and already used in both central defence and as a defensive midfielder in the national side. First went to Europe to play at Valencia but drifted at several lower league clubs in France after failing to initially make the grade before emerging at Lille three seasons ago. 8-Geremi (Ankaragucu, Turkey). Defender. Born Dec. 20 1978. Caps 114. Goals 13.

Well travelled fullback who has lost some of the pace and marauding style which made him a stalwart of the team for more than a decade. Still a key set-piece specialist but no longer guaranteed a place in the squad. His previous clubs include Real Madrid and Chelsea. 3-Nicolas Nkoulou (Monaco). Defender. Born March 27 1990. Caps 16. Goals 0.

The pretender to the role at the heart of defence long held by Song. Won his first cap at 18 and has had an impressive first full season at Monaco in Ligue 1. 4-Rigobert Song (Trabzonspor, Turkey). Defender. Born July 1 1976. Caps 136. Goals 4.

Played at three previous World Cups, first as a teenager at the 1994 finals in the U.S. Was stripped of the captaincy when Le Guen took over as coach last August and lost his place in the starting line-up at the Nations Cup in January. 19-Stephane Mbia (Olympique Marseille, France). Defender/Midfielder. Born May 20 1986. Caps 30. Goals 3.

A league winner with his club in France but his place in the starting line-up is in peril. He has lost his role as the midfield hard man and is in a public debate with Cameroon's coach about playing at right back. Le Guen sees him as a solution for a troublesome position but Mbia has been telling reporters he is not keen.

10-Achille Emana (Real Betis, Spain). Midfielder. Born June 5 1982. Caps 34. Goals 5.

Hard-working midfielder who can impose himself on a game and command play or be frustratingly absent. First played for Cameroon in 2003 after signing for Toulouse in France. 18-Enoh Eyong (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands). Midfielder. Born Aug. 1 1976. Caps 12. Goals 1.

Industrious defensive midfielder with an impressive work rate who caught Marco van Basten's eye and was signed for Ajax from their South African affiliate in Cape Town. He will be familiar with World Cup conditions having spent two seasons in South Africa's Premier Soccer League. 11-Jean Makoun (Olympique Lyon, France). Midfielder. Born May 29 1983. Caps 50. Goals 3.

Formidable midfielder who was a big-ticket buy for Lyon after six seasons at Lille. He has played in the last Champions League campaigns but he lost his key role for the Cameroon side after a surprising slip in form during the 2008 Nations Cup finals in Ghana. 21-Joel Matip (Schalke 04, Germany). Midfielder. Born Aug. 8 1991. Caps 3. Goals 0.

Was selected to play for Cameroon at the Nations Cup in Angola in January but did not show up for the tournament because of school exams. Made his debut against Italy in March. German-born defensive midfielder, who could also be used in defence.

20-Georges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern, Germany). Midfielder. Born Dec. 9 1988. Caps 6. Goals 0.

Went to January's Nations Cup tournament in Angola uncapped but finished up in the starting line-up by the time Cameroon were eliminated. Played a regular role for Kaiserslautern in their successful promotion campaign back to the German Bundesliga but likely to return next season to VfB Stuttgart at the end of his loan spell. 7-Landry Nguemo (Nancy). Midfielder. Born Nov. 28 1985. Caps 19. Goals 2.

Nguemo plays in driving box-to-box style but has several players ahead of him in the queue for the role in the Indomitable Lions. Moved to Scotland on loan from Nancy but there has been no sign of a permanent move. 6-Alexandre Song (Arsenal, England). Midfielder. Born Sept. 9 1987. Caps 23. Goals 0.

A key part of the side these days with his ability to win the ball and control the midfield. Arsene Wenger spotted him playing for Bastia but it took a while before he made the breakthrough at Arsenal. Nephew of Rigobert. 23-Vincent Aboubakar (Coton Sport). Forward. Born Jan. 22 1992. Caps 1. Goals 0.

Teenager uncovered by coach Le Guen during a recent scouting trip and training camp for home-based players. His surprise call-up comes at the same time as he is set to go to France and join Valenciennes next season. 13-Eric Choupo Moting (FC Nuremburg, Germany). Forward. Born March 23 1989. Caps 1. Goals 0.

German-born with a Cameroonian father, who recently received FIFA permission to play for the Indomitable Lions after previously winning under-21 caps for Germany. On loan this season from Hamburg to Nuremburg, where he scored five goals in a relegation-haunted season. 9-Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Spain). Forward. Born March 10 1981. Caps 92. Goals 42.

A record-equalling three-time winner of the African Footballer of the Year and on the brink of a third Champions League winners' medal. Cameroon turned to him to captain their team after they looked in danger in the qualifying campaign, a challenge the usually tempestuous player rose to with great aplomb. 17-Mohamadou Idrissou (SC Freiburg, Germany). Forward. Born March 8 1980. Caps 30. Goals 6.

Tall striker who has looked the best player to partner Eto'o over the years but never had a settled run in the team. Has scored 22 goals at Freiburg in the Bundesliga over the last two season but he has made it clear he wants to leave after returning from the World Cup. 15-Achille Webo (Mallorca, Spain). Forward. Born Jan. 20 1982. Caps 41. Goals 15.

Webo holds the unusual distinction of being the only African footballer to have played in both the Libertadores Cup in South America and the UEFA Champions League. He left home to begin his search to become professional at Nacional in Uruguay before moving to Spain eight years ago.