International Football
Cameroon’s Lions Are Not Indomitable
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
When Nigeria hosts Cameroon on Friday in Uyo in a 2018 World Cup qualifiers, it will be the 21st time both teams will be going head-to-head. However in recent time, Nigerian football followers are often jittery in fixtures with Cameroon.
Sports Village Square can confirm that past results swayed greatly in favour of Nigeria. Last Sunday marked 26 years since Cameroon ever beat Nigeria in regulation time. It was a World Cup qualifying match for Italia’ 90 – a tie in which Nigeria needed just a draw to advance to the last straight knock-out qualifying duel.
But the Super Eagles are still being haunted by the sad loss through penalty shootout of the final match of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations when scores at regulation time and extra time stood at 2-2. Until about a decade ago, Nigeria-Cameroon fixture was almost like a recurring decimal.
But in spite of the intimidating stature of the Indomitable Lions, results have always been in Nigeria’s favour. In 20 matches, Nigeria won 12 times as against three clear victories by Cameroon. The remaining five were drawn – including the February 13, 2000 Africa Cup final in which penalty kicks were used as tie-breaker.
Not only that, Nigeria had beaten Cameroon in Yaounde three times in the past including the occasion when the massive Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium was opened on February 13, 1972 ahead of the hosting of the eighth edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria did not only mar the occasion for Cameroon by beating the hosts 2-1, it is on record that the first goal at that stadium was scored by a Nigerian – Josiah Dombraiye who netted a brace. Other instances Nigeria beat Cameroon in Yaounde include the January 1 1963 return leg match of the then Kwame Nkrumah Cup organized by the West African Football Federations (WAFF), forerunners to the current West African Football Union. Cameroon was one of the founding countries of WAFF when it was established in Accra in March 1959.
Nigeria won in Yaounde after an earlier 3-1 win in Lagos. Also, a goalless World Cup qualifying match in Lagos on December 7, 1968 was followed with a 3-2 defeat of Cameroon in Yaounde on December 22, 1968.
The Nigerian soil has always been a poor hunting ground for Cameroon whose best result remain the 2-2 draw in Lagos in 2000 and perhaps the goalless outings of 1968 and that of February 2, 1980 at the then Liberty Stadium Ibadan when the legendary goalkeeper, Emmanuel Okala last played for Nigeria.
The first time Cameroon ever beat Nigeria was in the final match of the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Nigeria lost 1-3 after taking an early lead by Muda Lawal’s early strike.
The second time Nigeria lost to Cameroon was also an African Cup of Nations final match in which a clear goal by Henry Nwosu was disallowed while a doubtful penalty kick was awarded Cameroon by the Mauritanian referee, Idrissa Sarr to Cameroon which was converted by Emmanue Kunde.
The only edge Cameroon probably have over Nigeria is the fact that the first three times the Lions won the Africa Cup of Nations, the Super Eagles were the losers – 1984, 1988 and 2000.
Nigeria vs. Cameroon: Head-to-Head
P W D L F A GD
Nigeria 20 12 5 3 31 16 +15
Cameroon 20 3 5 12 16 31 -15
- 26 Apr. 1960 (F-Lome) Cameroon 0-0 Nigeria
- 8 Dec.1962 (Nkrumah Cup – Lagos) Nigeria 3-1 Cameroon
- 1 Jan.1963 (Nkrumah- Yaounde) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- 20 July 1966 (F- Fanando Po) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- 1968 (WCq- Lagos) Nigeria 1-1Cameroon
- 22 Dec.1968 (WCq – Yaounde) Cameroon 2-3 Nigeria
- 13 Feb.1972 (F- Yaounde) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- 22 Jan. 1975 (F – Lagos) Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon
- 2 Feb. 1980 (F- Ibadan) Nigeria 0 -0 Cameroon
- 18 Mar.1984 (Afcon – Abidjan) Cameroon 3-1 Nigeria
- 17 Mar. 1988(Afcon – Rabat Cameroon 1-1Nigeria
- 27 Mar.1988 (Afcon – Casablanca) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
- 10 June1989 (WCq- Ibadan) Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon
- 1989 (WCq – Yaounde) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
- 25 Jan.1992 (Afcon – Dakar) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- 1997 (LG Cup – Tunis) Cameroon 0-1 Nigeria
- 13 .Feb. 2000 (Afcon- Lagos) Nigeria 2-2 Cameroon *(3-4 pso).
- 1 June2003 (LG Cup- Lagos) Nigeria 3-0 Cameroon *aet
- Feb.2004 (Afcon – Monastir) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- Oct. 2015 (F-Vise, Belgium) Cameroon 0-3 Nigeria
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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