Daunting task for Cameroon

LIBREVILLE. - Cameroon have a daunting task as they must overcome the loss of several key players as they prepare to take on Burkina Faso in an Africa Cup of Nations Group A soccer encounter at the at Stade de l’Amitié in Libreville today.

Coach Hugo Broos, who saw his preparations thrown in turmoil by the withdrawals of eight players including striker Eric Maxim Choupo Moting of Schalke, Liverpool defender Joel Matip and full-back Allan Nyom of Watford, is however optimistic that should they reach the quarterfinals, they then have a good chance of fighting to win the coveted Afcon title.

Broos has been forced to cast his net wider and he admits he is not sure quite how his team will fare in the competition however he stopped short of alluding to the fact that after each game he will be able to note the strengths and weaknesses as he spoke to supersport.com “After several key players turned down the opportunity to play for Cameroon our plans were thrown in disarray, however I am a firm believer that any good player named in the squad has the opportunity to shine and make the country proud in such a competition” Broos told supersport.com after the Afcon draws at the Raddison Blu Hotel in Libreville.

“Making such decisions was a very difficult thing for me,” Broos said . “When will we know whether the best ones have been selected? In four weeks’ time.”

“I have a lot of respect for our opponents but I believe we will take one game at a time and see the positives and negatives and hopefully rectify before the next game. My focus is on our first match against Burkina Faso and I have told the players that the first game is the most crucial in any competition and from that point we will gauge ourselves. -