Johannesburg — Cameroon squandered all the points in supposedly the easiest game of their group, leaving them with a massive mission as they attempt to keep alive their World Cup hopes in South Africa.
The Indomitable Lions looked anything but in losing to Japan in their first Group E match in Bloemfontein, where some surprise tactical changes from the eccentric coach, Paul Le Guen, proved their undoing.
With the mighty Dutch to come, Cameroon’s prospects already look bleak, but if they win against Denmark at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld stadium on Saturday, then they might still have a chance to progress to the knockout stages.
Tension in the team camp is reportedly at boiling point, with French newspapers reporting that senior team members Samuel Eto’o, Rigobert Song and Geremi Fotso Njitap all met with the French-born coach, accompanied by Cameroon's sports minister, Michel Zoah, to try and influence his selection.
This came after Le Guen gambled in several key departments against the Japanese and was found wanting.
Captain Eto’o was insignificant against Japan in a right-wing role and would likely have to play rather his usual, direct striking position if he is to trouble a usually stoic Danish defence.
In midfield, Alexandre Song will be hoping to get a game after being benched against Japan. So will the Cameroon supporters, apoplectic after the Arsenal hardman was left out of the side.
Also axed in the last game was regular goalkeeper Carlos Idriss Kameni, dropped to be replaced by the largely-unheralded Souleymanou Hamidou.
Cameroon have been to more World Cups than any other African side and still hold the record for progressing the furthest, to the quarter-finals in Italy 20 years ago, but the current generation looks a pale shadow of the conquering heroes of 1990.
Their Danish opponents will have Jon Dahl Tomasson back to bolster their attack and Italian-based defender Simon Kjaer, the reigning Danish Footballer of the Year, returns after also missing their 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands at Soccer City on Monday.
