World Cup 2010

Morocco 0-2 Cameroon: The Indomitable Lions Secure World Cup Berth

Cameroon and Gabon were both vying for the only spot that would qualify them for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but the Indomitable Lions did the job right by beating Morocco 0-2 at home and will be on the greatest of stages for the sixth time.

Nov 14, 2009 4:25:31 PM

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Pierre Webo - Cameroon

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Things started off pretty hard as the Cameroonians decided to put on a physical confrontation in the midfield as soon as they lost the ball in order to exhaust a decimated Moroccan team. The Lions of Atlas were playing without many of their best players but the ones that made it showed bravery and a lot of heart.

So much so that Cameroon were a little bit threatened in the first minutes of the match. In the continuation of Zakaria Zerouali getting a yew card for fouling Achille Emana hard, the Real Betis took himself the free kick that landed on Alexandre Song, then Achile Webo whose incredibly powerful kick from just outside the penalty area first hits Lamyaghri's post before finishing its course in the Moroccan nets.

After playing as equals for nearly twenty minute, the Moroccan defence collapsed for the first time and would then become victim of incessant pounding by Cameroon players eager to score a second goal that would allow them to rest in the second half.

Although that second goal didn't materialise in the first half, the Cameroonians suffocated Hassan Moumen's squad and Samuel Eto'o showed all his class when minutes before the break he kicked a ball after passing three players with quick ball play.

The subsequent corner-kick didn't pan out as Jean II Makoun's header went over Lamyaghri's cage but the Indomitable Lions could have been leading 3-0 and no one would have been shocked.

Coming back from the locker room, things didn't slow down one bit for the Indomitable Lions clearly set on winning and qualifying. So six minutes into it, Samuel Eto'o once again scores a beautiful goal and put his country on orbit while at the same moment, Togo and Gabon were drawing.

At the 66th minute, Achille Emana was offered a goal on a platter inside the box on a counter attack led by Samuel Eto'o and Geremi Njitap and somehow managed to miss it, but once again proving that Cameroon at that point in the game were only playing against themselves.

This is when Paul Le Guen decided to let Stephane M'bia in for Achille Emana to stabilise the midfield, give it a more defencive orientation and replace the Real Betis player who seemed exhausted as he's not playing much lately. And still on his left side, Samuel Eto'o was a permanent threat, insuring that most of the Moroccan's focus was on him as he dazzled with his antics.

In the middle of their frustration, the Lions of Atlas managed on beautiful kick from Mohamed Chihani but his 25 meters strike didn't manage to get the best from Kameni who remained focused on the ball and didn't let it ff his sight. At the 78th minute, Landry Nguema and Achille Webo were replaced by Atchoyi Somen and Enoh Eyong as the younger alternatives would go in for yellow-carded veterans and hold the score intact until the end of the match.

They were not able to hold a disgruntled Moroccan supporter who got on the pitch to score the goal a whole nation was waiting for and heartily rooted for when he did score.

After that quick laugh at the 88th minute, Cameroon did their best to make the ball go around and patiently waited for the final whistle and when it happened at the 94th minute it was with a fountain of water that Coach Paul Le Guen was greeted by his bench.

Cameroon once again makes it to the World Cup and joins Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and South Africa.

Massaër Ndiaye, Goal.com

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