Fred Vubem
25 June 2008
Cameroon walloped the defending champion, Congo 3-0 yesterday to win the 5th edition of the CEMAC Cup.
The victory smacks of sweet revenge as Cameroon was butted out of the African Cup of Nations in 1972 by the Red Devils of Congo in the same Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium. Though Cameroon has defeated Congo in other competition and won greater victories on the African continent, Cameroonians have never forgot the humiliation they received from Congo on that memorable day of March 10, 1972.
Like a diesel engine which takes time to gather steam, Cameroon began the competition timidly with 1-2 defeat against little known Saos of Chad, then moved on to defeat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in the second match to qualify for the semi finals. At the semi finals, Cameroon again edged a more enterprising Central African side which made pundits to believe Cameroon didn't have a chance against Congo in the final, having scored only three goals in three matches to reach the finals.
But it was a transformed Cameroonian side that took on the Red Devils of the Central African Republic in the finals, probably motivated by the presence of the Head of State, Paul Biya, in the stadium and the impressive turn out of the public. In one match, the Lions were able to score the number of goals they scored to reach the finals and proved domineering in the match.
The victory brings to three the number of CEMAC Cups won by Cameroon ever since the CEMAC Cup was instituted in 2003.
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