A look back in time

Next saturday Cameroon play in Morocco with a chance to qualify for the World Cup. They faced an eerily similar situation 4 years ago on October 8, 2005. I want to take a look back at that fateful day and the comparisons between that campaign and the current one.

October 8, 2005 is a day that a lot of Cameroonians would choose as the darkest day in their football history. It is the day the Indomitability of the Indomitable Lions was shattered. It was believed to be unthinkable at that time for Cameroon to fail to qualify for the World Cup, much less in a home match. Yet that is exactly what happened.

On the final match day of the 2006 World Cup Campaign Cameroon were hosting Egypt at home with a two point lead over nearest rivals Côte d’Ivoire who were playing away to Sudan. Similar to next saturday’s scenario where Cameroon have a one point lead over second placed Gabon. The one difference is both sides are away on saturday in Morocco and Togo respectively.

Another similarity is that in both campaigns Cameroon had to overcome a large point gap. After two games in the current campaign Cameroon had a mere 1 point and no goals while Gabon were on a maximum 6 points. At approximately the mid-way point of the 2006 campaign Côte d’Ivoire had a 4 point cushion over Cameroon.

Another parallel to the two campaigns is that Cameroon one both home and away against Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon. Their wins over Gabon this time around directly lifted them above the Gabonese. Against Côte d’Ivoire their second win took them to top of the table combined with a Côte d’Ivoire draw in Libya in the previous fixture.

So entering the final match day four years ago it was Cameroon who controlled their own destiny. A home win against an Egyptian side who had nothing to play for having long since been eliminated from World Cup contention and having been automatic 2006 African Cup of Nations qualifiers as hosts though they would have qualified regardless. Cameroon could have also qualified had Côte d’Ivoire dropped points in Khartoum just like they will qualify on saturday if Gabon drop points as long as they are not blown out by Morocco.

Yet four years ago it all went horribly wrong. At first things seemed to be going how everyone thought they would. Rudolpe Douala gave Cameroon a 1-0 lead at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé. One would have thought a rout was in store for the Egyptians who had only pride on the line. Kanga Akalé did give Côte d’Ivoire a 22nd minute lead in Sudan but no matter as Cameroon were up as well. That is where things stood at half with both rivals up 1-0.

It quickly became apparent that Cameroon would have to hold onto their lead to qualify for the World Cup as Aruna Dindane doubled Côte d’Ivoire’s lead in the 51st minute and put the result beyond all doubt in the 73rd with his second. So the outcome was now reduced to one option for Cameroon, win. Côte d’Ivoire would end up winning 3-1 against an overmatched Sudanese side that accumulated just 6 points in 10 qualifying matches.

Cameroon now had to beat Egypt to qualify for Germany. Cameroon could not find that second goal that they needed and in fact it was increasingly the Egyptians who took control of the match and created the majority of the chances. In the second half the Cameroon attack stuttered and came to a complete stop. They were playing for the 1-0 result and the tenacious Egyptians would eventually make them pay with a 79th minute Mohamed Shawky goal.

Now the Indomitable Lions were looking at a disaster scenario: sitting at home watching the World Cup while Côte d’Ivoire, a side they beat twice, would be showcasing their talents.

Cameroon immediately went back on the prowl after conceding the goal and dominated the game but could not create any clear cut chances. The game entered stoppage time and it seemed as if the tragedy was at an end. Cameroon would fail at home. They would miss the World Cup for the first time since 1986.

They had 5 minutes of stoppage time to salvage the tragedy. And in the 5th minute of stoppage time Salomon Olembe won a very soft penalty kick for Cameroon. All that was left was for Samuel Eto’o to dispatch the penalty into the back of the net and send Cameroon to Germany. Only Eto’o didn’t take it. Neither did Achille Webo or Salomon Olembe or Daniel Ngom Kome. The only man brave enough to take the penalty was left back Pierre Womé. I will let the video tell the rest of the story. Please do not watch it if you are Pierre Womé, you have suffered enough already.

And just like that the tragedy for Cameroon become even worse. The unthinkable became not just thinkable but reality. Cameroon’s record streak of 4 straight World Cup appearances was over. Pierre Womé’s family would be put under the protection of the police and Womé himself would receive death threats and eventually retire from the national team as a result.

Now a little over 4 years later we come full circle again. A chance to exorcise the ghosts of four years ago and right that wrong. All Cameroon has to do is win in Morocco. It is no time to just hope that Togo take care of Gabon. Beat a Moroccan side that is as bad as any Moroccan side in memory and that fateful day in Yaoundé on October 8, 2006 will become a little less painful.

Or history will repeat itself and that pain will only magnify and hang over the Indomitable Lions for an additional 4 years.

Saturday November 14, 2009 we will have our answer. Will it be redemption or Déjà Vu?