Cameroon 1-2 Denmark

Cameroon's hopes of progressing from Group E have been extinguished after suffering a 2-1 defeat against Denmark.

Despite taking the lead through Samuel Eto'o, the Indomitable Lions failed to hang on as Nicklas Bendtner and Dennis Rommedahl struck either side of the break as the Scandinavians rallied to secure three precious points.
Cameroon and Denmark desperately needed a result to stay in the race to qualify for the last 16 after both teams lost their opening group game.

It was the Indomitable Lions who had more to prove after their dismally lacklustre display against Japan and they came racing out of the blocks with an early assault on the Danish goal, with Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Samuel Eto’o, playing through the centre this time rather than out on the right flank, firing in warning shots.

But it was Denmark who created the first real chance of the game on six minutes when Rommedahl latched onto a brilliant through ball by Christian Poulsen, but he blazed his shot over the bar from 12 yards out.

The Danes were immediately made to pay for that miss when the Lions roared into the lead on 10 minutes. A slack pass by Poulsen right on the edge of his own box allowed Pierre Webo to pounce as he charged down the left wing and squared the ball to Eto’o, who simply could not miss with a rasping low shot past the on-rushing Thomas Sorensen.

Two minutes later, Achille Emana saw a ferocious thunderbolt from 20 yards out scream just wide of Sorensen’s right post, before Jesper Gronkjaer followed suit at the other end as his low curling effort was deflected wide.

Denmark began to assert themselves from the 20-minute mark onwards, and Jon Dahl Tomasson almost got to the end of a clever through pass from Lars Jacobsen but Souleymanou Hamidou was quick off his line to smother the ball.

The frantic tempo of the opening phases of the game dissipated soon after and Emana’s shot, which sailed well over on the half-hour mark, was the only opening either side could manage. But completely against the run of play, Denmark drew levelled in the 33rd minute.

Rommedahl charged down the right wing to meet a stunning 50-yard long ball from Simon Kjaer before squaring it deliciously into the middle for Nicklas Bendtner who slid forward and stabbed it into the back of the net.

With five minutes left in the half, a flurry of shocking defensive errors almost produced a number of goals.

First, a mistake by Alex Song allowed Rommedahl to charge into the box but his tame shot was kept out by Hamidou. Tomasson picked up the rebound and his attempt was blocked by the back-tracking Song. Straight to the other end, a sloppy Danish clearance saw Emana teeing up Eto’o, but the Inter striker’s sidefooted effort pinged back off the foot of the post.

Minutes later, Emana burst forward between two defenders but his toe-poke shot was swatted away by Sorensen as the pulsating first half ended 1-1.

Both coaches made a change during the break. Paul Le Guen sent in Jean Il Makoun to replace Eyong Enoh while Morten Olsen took out Martin Jorgensen for Daniel Jensen.

Barely a minute into the restart, Stephane M’Bia forced a superb finger-tip save out of Sorensen with a bullet header from a corner. Jensen then had to make a crucial last-ditch tackle to prevent Assou-Ekotto from tapping in a loose ball from close range.

Denmark responded straight away with Kjaer’s thumping half volley from the edge of the box which flew marginally over the bar, although Hamidou would have had it covered.

Right on the hour mark, Denmark raced into the lead again completely out of the blue. Bendtner’s cross-field pass found Rommedahl, who easily checked past Makoun onto his left foot and curled a lovely shot into the bottom corner past Hamidou.

Two minutes after that, Webo almost equalised for Cameroon when he rose high to meet a cross but his glancing header just flashed wide. Makoun then blazed over after good build-up play between Emana and Eto’o.

With 20 mintues to go, Olsen’s XI should have buried the game. Poulsen’s ball over the top was cushioned down by Rommedahl for Tomasson, but the captain’s shot was parried away by Hamidou from point-blank range.

Cameroon came close again on 77 minutes when Emana was released clean through on goal, but his powerful low drive was pushed away brilliantly by Sorensen.

The African Lions started pressing forward in numbers in the closing stages as their 2010 World Cup campaign hung dangerously in the balance. Mahamadou Idrissou almost became the hero for his country five minutes from time but he could only head over from five yards out.

Le Guen’s men failed to find the equaliser despite incessant pressure as Denmark held on for their first win of the 2010 World Cup but crucially, the African side are out.

Cameroon are rooted to the bottom of the group with zero points. Denmark and Japan are now locked on three points apiece and with both sides meeting each other in the final group game, the Lions’ best possible finish is third place.