CAMEROON NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM 1970

Mbappe Lepe's Photos - CAMEROON NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM 1970 ; Talking of Cameroon as a Soccer Power House...Is Talking Efficacy of the Trail Blazing Squad of the Sorcerers/Pioneers Versus the present money blinded young whatever of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

Cameroon National Team shortly before CAN 1970 (1968)
Squatting from left to right: Tokoto JP (Oryx), Mbappe Lepe (Oryx),
Manga Onguene (Canon), Mbette Isaac (Caïman), Epacka (Caïman)
Standing, from left to right: Mukoko Confiance (Oryx), Atangana Ottou
"Remetter" (Diamant), Bassenguen "Docta" du (Dragon Yaoundé), Owon...a Norbert (Union), Ndoumbè franzt(Caïman), Oyono ’Cogefar’ (Tonnerre)





Yes - they - can!!
“Cameroon is the first nation to have prematurely crashed out from the 2010 World Cup with zero point”. Who can claim to have easily digested such a lamentable adventure of our indomitable Lions? Where is that passion and anxiety to win by wetting the national tricolour jerseys, defeating the opponent in style and giving pride to the entire nation! We are filled with hope that it is still possible to acquire and celebrate the glories of the present, not just that of the past, that of the time of Felix Mbappe Leppe, Theophile Abega, Roger Milla, Ndip Akem Victor, et al. Closely observing this recent World Cup in South Africa like many others, the evenness between the African, American, Asian and European football was flagrant. Yet a certain lack of optimism and self confidence could be noticed in our national team. As a result, the dismay and damning results sent us off the tiny door with humiliation. While in the main time, other determined teams demonstrated an unprecedented combative spirit with no complex.
Sports and football in particular is a formidable unifying factor and, it would therefore be in the interest of the national authorities to guarantee its smooth running. The glories of the Lions are celebrated the same way in Kousseri, Kumbo, Mbalmayo, as in Esu, Edinau and all over. And similarly, the woes of the Lions give the same pain to Cameroonians of all levels, wherever they are across the globe. The psycho-emotional investment in their national team is based on no political affiliation, social status or geographical origins, it is simply the same. It is quite comprehensively acceptable for the ‘Indomitable Lions’ to be beatable, but hardly acceptable to see them pitifully ejected from such a popular competition. From Johannesburg to Rustenburg via Durban, no victory, no draw, only defeats conceded. No! Lions...you deserve better! No! Cameroon...we deserve better!

Our players should be made to understand that, the national team’s jersey should be worn by the deserved, and playing for the nation is no favour to the nation, but a brave assignment for the nation. They should avoid demonstrating their Lion’s claws in the media, but on the football pitch like responsible Lions. The national team’s preparation cannot be done on a short term basis with just a few training sessions. It is a long term Herculean task that requires a resilient familiarisation of players who keep on together in many matches and several training sessions. This should also be handled and accompanied by a stable Manager who is also able to select and work with the best local players nationwide and destroy any clannish idea in the team. Though in a tailspin, the rank and reputation that Cameroon still enjoys in football internationally is left-of-all encouraging, and in order to progress, we must start investing in sports and football facilities nationally. This is crucial and vital because it would be thanks to these infrastructures that our sports men and women will be prepared and be able to compete with their opponents in the upcoming competitions. The world is fast-moving ahead; we can’t afford to stay stagnant when we have the means to advance. From these facts, we must cross the threshold of appointments¬¬ - ceremonies and then infightings for personal interests. Let’s do the real work and build a real sports nation, worthy of the name.

The recent African Nations Cup did significantly boost the Angola’s economy from Luanda to Cabinda and elsewhere nationwide. Different construction worksites were put up as employees were hired, buildings, as different infrastructures appeared from the grounds. Similarly, the socio-economic fruits of the recently organised World Cup were harvested from the chic suburbs of Durban, Cape-town, same as in the poor Townships of Soweto to the business quarters of Johannesburg etc. Tomorrow will be the turn of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to host the African Cup of Nations, 2012 Olympics are for London, and then Brazil is to host both the World Cup and the Olympics in 2014 and in 2016 respectively. Cameroon too should enter the race and bid to host one of these sponsored tournaments. This will help and build both the formal and the informal sectors’ economy nationally. The population will also enjoy the high demand of manpower, which will construct different infrastructures nationwide.

As a Cameroonian also haunted by our humiliating performance in South Africa, I think the moment of bitterness and frustration is over. Now is time to move forward with proposals in order to find solutions and carry out sports nicely and safely. We’ve got to critically revolutionise this unifying factor of fame [sports] which strengthens and brings people together from all angles of the nation, irrespective of their differences.
Long Live the roaring Lions...Long Live the winning Cameroon.
Original article written by Benjamin Bin Meh