By Walter Wilson Nana
The new coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon is Jean Paul Akono. He replaces sacked Frenchman Denis Lavagne, who has been faulted for poor results.
Akono’s appointment and Lavagne’s dismissal is the decision of the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Adoum Garoua, taken Thursday, September 14 2012 in Yaoundé and read on state radio, CRTV.
Jean Paul Akono: The new coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon
With Cameroon’s qualification chances for the South Africa 2013 AFCON on the balance, after a humiliating defeat (0-2) from lowly rated Blue Sharks of Cape Verde on Saturday, September 8 2012, the government, sporting authorities and people of Cameroon are jittery. As Cameroonians look forward to the return leg qualifiers for the 2013 AFCON in Yaoundé against Cape Verde, come October 13 2012, measures are been put in place to ward off another disgrace of missing the AFCON for the second consecutive times. This and other reasons motivated the government of Cameroon to recall one time player and coach of the Lions, Akono to come for the top job. He will be assisted by Martin Ndtoungou Mpile, who was already there with Lavagne and Mbarga as the trainer for the keepers.
Lavagne, formerly a coach of Cotonsport of Garoua, Cameroon, was invited to head the Lions’ den in November 2011 after Spaniard, Javier Clemente was booted out for failing to take Cameroon to the 2012 AFCON in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon (co-hosting). Lavagne was subsequently given a one-year contract, which ends on October 31 2012. In his dismissal letter, Sports Minister, Garoua mentioned that Lavagne will continue to receive his salary and other benefits until October 31 2012, though his services are no longer needed in the technical bench of the Lions.
Before his new found assignment, Akono was the Deputy Technical Director in Cameroon’s football governing body, FECAFOOT. He is joyfully remembered for his golden exploits at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, where Cameroon’s under 23 football squad won the gold medal in football. From 2000 to 2001, Akono will be redeployed to take charge of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
The Challenges For Akono
Primarily, the government and sporting authorities in Cameroon have given the frank-talking Akono, the herculean task of making available a ticket for the country at AFCON 2013 in South Africa.
Since the very poor showing of Cameroon at the 2010 AFCON in Angola, followed by the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, still in 2010, the image of Cameroon has been dwindling in the international scene. Akono, Ndtoungou and Mbarga have a responsibility to restore the lost glories and pave the way for Cameroon to also qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The lions’ performances at the 2014 World Cup qualifiers have not been something to write home about.
Observers of Cameroon football in recent years have noted the internal wrangling perturbing the smooth functioning of the players. The increasing players’ conflicts will have to be checked by the Akono led team, bring back some run-away players like Samuel Fils Eto’o, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Armel Kana into the den.
The issue of who is supposed to be the captain of the Indomitable Lions is another hot potato Akono will have to swallow once and for all.
While many Cameroonians welcome Akono back into the Lions’ den as the head, some are pushing for more dismissals in FECAFOOT, noting that Cameroon football rests in the hands of individuals in FECAFOOT, who are not professionally equipped to be where they are.
