The head coach of the intermediate lions of Cameroon Alioum Saidou, has revealed that his team is obliged to have a good performance at the 2022 African Nations Championship in Algeria.
Cameroon will take on Congo Brazzaville at 8pm on Monday January 16 at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran, in the first Group E game.
Lodged in one of the three_team groups, Alioum Saidou says Cameroon who finished fourth in the last edition of the tournament on home soil, have no choice, but to deliver.
“We are Cameroon. What is important for us is to play this match and win it. We have been preparing for some time and our players are looking forward to this. A game against Congo is a derby but we are ready for this level,” Saidou said during his pre_match press conference on Sunday.
Cameroon is in their fifth participation at the competition, and have gone above the group stage in three of their past four appearances at the competition. With regulars Niger and Congo also in Group E, the gaffer says it is very tricky.
“Of course, playing in a three-team group is tricky and every game is a final. We have a good team and we played friendly games to prepare before coming here so we are confident. We have no choice but to deliver for our fans.”
Alioum Saidou will have to count of the likes of Captain Yves Alain Dooh Moukoko, the experienced Thomas Etta Bawak who is in his second CHAN, but mostly especially on the youthful exuberance of Kaiba Djawal, Jerome Ngom Mbekeli, Che Malone, amongst others. With the likes of Marou Souaibou and Felix Oukine haven left before the competition, Alioum says he’s adapting different options.
“There are players that are not available here but this is not something that is going to stop us. We shall make do with what we have. We still have some new local players who want to showcase their skills and I want to see more from them.”
Captain Yves Alain Dooh Moukoko on his part stated that it is time to get down to business.
“The time to talk is over and now it is time to act. We have been preparing for this competition for at least three months now and we are good to go. We have something special, and we shall take it one game at a time,” Said Moukoko.
Cameroon won just two of their five friendly games in the build up to the competition (against Canon and Sudan), recording three draws (against Eding, Uganda and Ivory Coast).
The last time Cameroon and Congo met, was at CHAN 2018 in Morocco, with the later winning 1#0.
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