Fred Vubem
8 October 2009
Victory against Togo and victory for Morocco against Gabon will automatically qualify the Lions for the 2010 world Cup.
Togo may well be the last hurdle Cameroon to cross in the campaign to qualify for the 2010 world cup in South Africa as victory for both Cameroon and Morocco over their opponents of the last but one day of play, will see the Indomitable Lions automatically qualify for the First world Cup of African soil. Victory for Cameroon will earn them 9 points well out of the reach of second placed Gabon who will be tied at 6 points in case of defeat against Morocco. Even if Gabon was to beat Togo on the last day of play, and Cameroon looses against Morocco, they will be bracket with nine points each but Cameroon will have the technical advantage having beaten Gabon on away and return basis.
Certainly so much water has gone under the bridge ever since the first day of play of the third round qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup when the Hawks of Togo inflicted a stunning one-nil victory over the Indomitable Lions. Since then, the Lions have regained their strength as king of the forest moving from underdogs to forerunners of the group. However, Togo remains a very dangerous side. Logically, Togo can still qualify for the World Cup if they win their remaining two matches, which will land them at the top of the group with 11 points. This makes the Hawks of Togo even more dangerous and with qualification gradually slipping through their fingers, the Hawks will fight tooth and nail to clinch a second consecutive qualification for a final round of the World Cup.
And the Hawks have what it takes to turn the tables. With a strong strike force led by Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor who is at the best of his form, having scored four goals in five matches with his new club, Manchester City. He is seconded upfront by players such as Serge Gakpe of Monaco in France, Jonathan Ayité of Nimes, France and Olufade Adekanmi who plays professional football for a Belgian club side, La Gantoise. The defence is equally solid having conceded only one goal in three matches. Their usually water tight defence is what is going to pose a big problem to the Cameroonians who were unable to break thorough this defence in the first encounter.
However, Togo like Cameroon has been going through some trying moments having changed three coaches in a space of three years and their performance in the third round qualifiers hasn't been so brilliant. Togo has scored only two goals in three outings and their defence broke down in front of the Gabonese attacks. The Panthers of Gabon were able to find the back of the net three times during that encounter. That notwithstanding, no two matches are the same and the Cameroon-Togo encounter may also come with its own surprises. Hopefully that the surprise will be a pleasant one for Cameroon.
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