February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Jay Mwamba
Cameroon’s “Indomitable Lions” continue to bare their teeth ahead of the 2002 finals. One of Ireland’s chief rivals in Group E, the Lions began their defense of the African Nations Cup in style, with a 1-0 victory over Congo in a first round group match in Bamako last Sunday.
Parma striker Patrick Mboma blasted in a thunderbolt of a shot to send the champions to the top of Group C.
The Cameroonians, who face Togo and the Ivory Coast in their other matches, used the opener in the baking-hot Malian capital to debut their new sleeveless jerseys.
Mixed bag
Two other World Cup-bound squads experienced mixed fortunes in the Nations Cup last weekend.
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Senegal, in Group A with France, Denmark and Uruguay, edged Egypt 1-0 on defender Lamine Diatta’s late header.
South Africa, meanwhile, probably showed watching Spanish assistant national coach Alfonso Fraile little to concern the Japan/Korea Group B favorites about after escaping with a goalless draw against Burkina Faso.
Fraile is in Mali to watch all of South Africa’s group matches.
Gulf Cup
Saudi Arabia, another one of Republic’s Group E, are also getting the kind of match practice that is probably leaving Irish boss Mick McCarthy green with envy.
The Saudis beat Bahrain 3-1 in Riyadh last weekend to finish second in the Gulf Cup. Hassan Al-Yami (14th, 32nd) and Sami Al-Jaber (90th) scored for the Saudis, who had earlier tied 1-1 with Kuwait. Rashed Jamal (67th) connected for Bahrain.
Sami Al-Jaber, the Saudi skipper, scored in the draw with Kuwait who replied through Jasim al-Humaidi.
Goldren touch
DeMarcus Beasley struck in stoppage time to lift the United States to a 2-1 victory over World Cup rivals South Korea in the Gold Cup in Pasadena, Calif., last Saturday.
Landon Donovan (31st) got the other goal against the Koreans, who finished with 10 men after the ejection of Choi Jin-Cheul (55th).
Korea, 1-0 winners when the two countries met last month, were on top for long spells of the match but faded once Choi was given the marching orders.
The two Group D rivals meet for the real thing in D’gu on June 10. Poland and Portugal are the other teams in the group.
Swede search
Members of the Swedish coaching staff, led by manager Tommy Soderberg, will fan out across Europe this week in search of the final pieces for their 2002 squad.
Countries on the itinerary include France, Germany, Portugal, Holland, and England.
Sweden are drawn in the dreaded Group F, or “Group of Fear,” whose other members are Nigeria, Argentina and England.