New Delhi: India got a taste of what Cameroon football is all about during their 0-1 defeat to the Africans in the last round robin league encounter of the Nehru Cup here on Friday.
Playing his first match in a Cameroon side that made as many as nine changes, Bite Samuel put the visitors ahead even before the crowd of around 5,000 settled down at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
His second-minute strike, the fastest of the tournament, left the Indian defence flailing at thin air, and the partisan turn-out shocked.
In the dress rehearsal ahead of Sunday’s summit showdown, Cameroon ensured that they would go into the title clash with the psychological advantage of having beaten the hosts.
Up against the 59th ranked side in the world, who have not brought along their premier squad, India did compete in patches, but failed to put up a show that would have impressed coach Wim Koevermans.
True, the Indians looked at the match as an opportunity to test their reserves, but so did their opponents.
In the absence of the rested Sunil Chhetri, India fielded Mandeep Singh and Jewel Raja. They tried, but against a country that produced players like Roger Milla and Samuel Eto’o and once reached the quarters of the FIFA World Cup, breaching the Cameroon defence was always going to be a difficult proposition.
On the other hand, even without the services of rested leading scorers Kingue Mpondo and Kologny Merime, Cameroon were served admirably by their replacements. (PTI)