Wounded Denmark to meet Cameroon
Wounded Danes to meet hungry Lions
Posted: 2010-06-19 10:16
With both Cameroon and Denmark losing their opening Group E matches, today's clash between the two at Loftus Versfeld will be a must-win affair.
Denmark's hopes of challenging the Netherlands and Japan for a ticket to the second round are hampered by injuries with strikers Nicklas Bendtner and Jon Dahl Tomasson struggling to be ready for the close encounter with the Indomitable Lions.
Bendtner says he is ready to start against Cameroon, but admits he is not 100 percent fit after being sidelined for months with a groin injury. Coach Morten Olsen took a gamble when he fielded the Arsenal striker for 60 minutes in Denmark's 2-0 loss to the Netherlands.
The Danish Football Association said Bendtner wasn't harmed by playing that match. But he's been training separately from the rest of the players this week at the team camp in Knysna, suggesting he's not in optimal shape.
Fit or not, Olsen is likely to rely on Bendtner to spearhead the Danish attack because he doesn't have many alternatives, with Dahl-Tomasson in doubt.
Denmark's all-time top scorer missed their opener due to a hamstring injury. The veteran forward's condition is improving, but he's still not fully recovered.
As for Cameroon, the Indomitable Lions are hungry for revenge after a disappointing 1-0 loss to Japan.
Despite an attack led by Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon never really challenged Japan keeper Eiji Kawashima. The Africans struggled with possession, and even when they put a few passes together, the build-up usually was wasted by poor crosses.
"We are not satisfied with our performance," defender Nicolas Nkoulou said, in comments posted on the Cameroon football federation website.
"We made mistakes but not everything was negative. We will build on the positives to achieve a good result in the next match."
Achille Emana, a second-half substitute against Japan, dismissed rumors that team morale was hurt by a rift between Eto'o and some of the other players.
"I have no problem with Samuel Eto'o," he said, but admitted that ‘misunderstandings' had caused some problems in the group.
"We met, we discussed and these problems have been resolved," Emana said.
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