Cameroon’s Coach In Search Of New Heroes

Hugo Broos has declared that Cameroon must forget past glories and instead focus attentions on ending the Indomitable Lions’ long wait for Africa Cup of Nations glory.
Not since 2002, when they beat Senegal in the final, have Cameroon, who face Guinea-Bissau today in their second Group A game, been crowned AFCON champions.
That marked the fourth time, and second AFCON tournament in succession, that Cameroon won the competition, but their recent record has been poor. They crashed out in the group stages on their last attempt in 2015, while failing to qualify in 2012 and 2013.
Burkina Faso pegged Broos’ men back in their first game to earn a 1-1 draw, but a place in the quarter-finals remains the minimum target for the Belgian.
“There are 16 teams who can win the Nations Cup and that makes it a very difficult assignment,” Broos told reporters.
“This is the error that Cameroon have made over the last years, they are still speaking about 20 years ago when they went on the field and scored twice in the first half and had the games sewn up.
“The history of the Nations Cup always throws up surprises. There is no game you go into with the feeling you can win it.
“We want to get the quarter-finals and then we will see what we can do from there. My team is ready. I know they are an ambitious group and seeking to restore the history that Cameroon had in this competition before.”
Guinea-Bissau, meanwhile, recorded a 1-1 draw against hosts Gabon on their AFCON debut.
A Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strike had them trailing 1-0, but Juary Soares netted a last-minute equaliser to boost their chances of reaching the knockout stages.