Lagos — THE Indomitable Lions of Cameroun are in no doubt more hungry for the 2002 African Nations Cup title to equal the records of Ghana and Egypt.

And the Lions of Senegal who are making their first appearance in a Nations Cup final match appear less prepared to stop the bulky Camerounians from realising their dream.

The Pharoahs as the Egyptian national team are called, won the inaugural edition of the Nations Cup held in Sudan in 1957 and defended it successfully as host in 1959.

In the fourth edition which they hosted in 1963, Ghana recorded her first victory in the biennial event and the Egyptians defended the title successfully. The only difference was that the Ghanaians performed their own feat on an away soil in Tunisia in 1965.

Sincethat feat 37 years ago, no country has won the cup back to back again.

Only two incidentally Ghana and Cameroun came close to doing it again but Nigeria and Egypt punctured the dream.

After winning at home again in 1978, Ghana came to Nigeria but crashed out.

Nigeria s Green Eagles were really at home and recorded their name as one of the winners.

In 1984, Cameroun won their first title after beating Nigeria 3-1 in Abidjan, Cote d Ivoire. They looked forward to a successful defence the following year but the Egyptians were unstoppable as host.

Aside joining the club of teams that have won the cup back to back, the rugged Camerounians who have not conceded any goal in this competition, in fact the only country yet to concede a goal, are looking forward to their fourth title, again to be like Ghana and Egypt.

Ghana became the first team to win the trophy a third time in 1978 and extended their win to four in far away Libya in 1982. Egypt closed up with their third win in 1986 and equalled the record in Burkina Faso in 1998.

Today in Bamako, Mali, only the Senegalese can stop the Camerounians from these two records but the Mbomas, Songs and the Etos are determined not to let this opportunity slip, not even when the Nigerians have been booted out. For Ghana and Egypt, two of their victories were recorded on home soil. Egypt won at home in 1959 and 1986 while Ghana also won at home in 1963 and 1978.

The Camerounians are the only champions who have won three times on foreign soils and again today on a foreign soil appear set to win again. If they do, then they would go down as the true champions of African football.

Even on home soil in 1972, the Camerounians disappointed their home fans and waited till 1984 to record their first victory. Ironically their three earlier victories were against Nigeria including the painful one in Lagos in 2000.(ACONS)