2010 Nations/World Cup competitions: 20 players called up for Cameroon-S. Africa friendly

Otto Pfister, head coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon has short listed 20 players for an international friendly between the Lions and the Bafana - Bafana of South Africa on 19 November.
By Yemti Harry Ndienla

The match billed for Rustenburg in South Africa is part of build up to the last phase qualifiers for 2010 Nations/World cup competitions to takeoff in March next year.
The list published on FECAFOOT website (www.fecafootonline.com) contains one name on the waiting list. Nicolas Nkoulou would be on standby so that in case one of the 20 does not answer present, he would be called up to fill the space. Remarkably absent on the list are Timothe Atouba and Stephane Mbia Etoundi who are both nursing injuries sustained with their professional clubs.

Conspicuous among the 20 short listed players is Pierre Wome Nlend who appears to be reconsidering his decision never to play with the Indomitable Lions again. He fell out with his teammates and fans in October 2005 when he missed a last-minute penalty that dashed the Lions hopes of being part of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Wome who had been out of the den for close to three years after officially announcing that he would never play for the Indomitable Lions, is believed, would make up for the absence of versatile defensive midfielder, Alexandre Song Bilong served a three-match ban by FIFA for rough handling a Cape Verde player during the Cameroon –Cape Verde game in the last but one match in the first round qualifiers for the 2010 competitions.

The 20-man squad comprises uprising talent in the likes of Dorge Rostard Kouemaha, Somen a Tchoyi, Franck Songo’o, Alexis Ngambi and Guy Stephane Essame. Albert Meyong Ze, Daniel Ngome Kome and Eric Djemba Djemba who recently reintegrated the team have also been selected. But the coach has not stated when the camping would begin and where.

Otto Pfister, reportedly told the press sometime last month that it would only be after the friendly matches that he would have an idea on who could be fielded and the game plan to adopt in the highly competitive last phase qualifiers. Cameroon will in the qualifiers play alongside Morocco, Gabon and Togo where only the group leader will qualify for the world cup.

Full list of the players convened for the International friendly;
Rigobert Song
Samuel Eto’o
Geremi Njitap
Idriss Carlos Kameni
Jean II Makoun
Modeste Mbami
André Bikey
Augustin Gilles Binya
Pierre Wome Nlend
Souleymanou Hamidou
Achille Webo
Achille Emana
Albert Meyong Ze
Daniel Ngome Kome
Eric Djemba Djemba
Alexis Ngambi
Guy Stephane Essame
Dorge Rostard Kouemaha
Somen a Tchoyi
Franck Songo’o
Waiting list
Nicolas Nkoulou