Cameroon count the positives despite World Cup exit

“No one knew me in Cameroon,” Devis Epassy said here on Saturday. Two World Cup starts and a Player-of-the-Match award against Brazil has changed that. So, he wanted to “thank everyone for the support” he got since he took charge of the Cameroon goal against Serbia.

“You have to pinch yourself sometimes,” Aaron Ramsdale had said when the England No 2 goalkeeper was asked about being at the World Cup. Ramsdale plays for Arsenal who went into the World Cup break as Premier League leaders. He has featured in a curated fly-on-the-wall documentary on Arsenal and is used to playing in an Emirates packed to the rafters. And yet he spoke of having to train like he is the No 1 goalkeeper because otherwise it is difficult to “flip a switch” and be ready.

So, think of what Epassy had to go through. It was on Sunday, he said, that Cameroon coach Rigobert Song told the No 2 goalkeeper that he would play. Next afternoon, Epassy was in goal denying Aleksandar Mitrovic and pulling out crosses from Filip Kostic. It helped Cameroon force a draw, the teams sharing six goals and staying alive till the final set of group games.

On Friday, Epassy was put through a more severe test by Brazil. Tite rested nine players who started against Switzerland but the team that ran out at Lusail to applause that split the night had Antony, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Fabinho, Fred and Rodrygo. Brazil banged on the Cameroon goal from the off; there was Dani Alves using all the experience of a 39-year-old in a free-kick committee along with Martinelli and Rodrygo; there were cute passes and sweeping moves from right to left and there were over 88,000 people, most of them not in Epassy’s corner.

But the 29-year-old who plays in the Saudi Pro League for Abha would not be thwarted. He crashed into the upright and could continue only after treatment but Epassy stood between Brazil notching up a tennis-like score-line, ensuring Vincent Aboubakar’s goal from nowhere in second-half stoppage time would lead to an escape to victory. A first for an African team against the five-time champions.

It still ended Cameroon’s run – they finished third behind Brazil and Switzerland in Group G -- but Epassy and coach Rigobert Song said they can be proud of their efforts. Comments which segued with Brazil head coach Tite saying “history will remember me as the first coach from Brazil to lose to an African side.”

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t qualify but that takes nothing away from what we achieved tonight,” said Epassy.

“We showed that anything can happen,” said Song, speaking later. Dreadlocks dropping to his shoulders, cap pulled firmly over his head, Song, 47, speaks slowly in a deep voice that echoes in press conference rooms and has the air of a man in charge.

Song played his first World Cup in 1994 when he was with a club in Yaounde. That explained why he didn’t hesitate to use Epassy in goal or Jerome Mbekeli Ngom in the Cameroon top tier. It was Ngom who provided Aboubakar the assist.

“You have to be true to yourself. I saw his potential. Just because he plays in the local league he is not a bad player. Hopefully, this will motivate others in the Cameroon league,” said Song.

A 0-1 loss to Switzerland through a goal from Cameroon-born Breel Embolo followed by a come-from-behind draw against Serbia and the 1-0 win against Brazil left Song feeling “we could have done better.”

“We are a young team but we got stronger as the games went on. If we can avoid the mistakes we made, we can be a strong team by 2024.” Song didn’t mention the name of Andre Onana, who left following reports of disagreements between the coach and the Inter Milan goalkeeper. But he said: “the internal problem was resolved very quickly and brought the team closer.”

Discipline, Song said, is very important. “It has let us down in the past.”

In 2014, Cameroon players had refused to board the plane to Brazil in a dispute over bonuses and their poor run in the competition, where they lost all group league games, was then marred by allegations of match-fixing.

The elimination notwithstanding, Song indicated he would continue. Appointed on the recommendation of Cameroon president Paul Biya and with a “reactive president of the federation (Samuel Eto’o) who knows what players need,” he said Cameroon have formed a team that is solid. “Now is the beginning.”

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