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Supporters of Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions are demanding the ouster of their French trainer Paul Le Guen following the team's loss to Japan on Monday
Divine Ntaryike | Durban, South Africa 16 June 2010
Cameroon’s coach Paul Marie Le Guen of France initially1 earned widespread respect among restive2 fans of the Indomitable Lions when he helped it qualify for the 2010 South Africa World Cup. In due course however, Le Guen, considered a tenacious3 disciplinarian, became a target of critics.
Many criticized his support for Samuel Eto’o whom he eventually named captain, and for his choice of players and their positioning on the pitch. Critics also say under his direction, the team lacked a convincing play-style.
Le Guen’s popularity in Cameroon plunged5 last January when he was blamed for the teams lackluster performance in Angola and finally failed to make it beyond the quarterfinals. But the government retained him despite mounting calls for his dismissal.
Le Guen is yet again coming under fire, following Cameroon’s dismal6 output and an eventual4 0-1 defeat against Japan in their Group E World Cup icebreaker Monday at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. It was Cameroon’s first defeat in a World Cup opening game, and the fans say it was predictable.
They don’t understand why Le Guen benched experienced arsenal7 midfielder Alexandre Song, why he positioned striker Eto’o deep in midfield, why he debuted8 the encounter with panic-stricken greenhorns like Joel Matip who has never played at national level, why he fielded more defenders9 than attackers, and much more.
Before the blunder Monday, Le Guen said he was hoping to replicate10 Cameroon’s 1990 surprise win over Argentina in the opener and its successful climb to the quarterfinals. He says the Lions game plan on Monday against Japan’s Blue Sumarais was wrong, and he accepts responsibility for their performance.
Cameroon, formerly11 rated one Africa’s best chances at the South Africa global football showpiece, now trails behind Denmark, the Netherlands and Japan.
A small number of optimists13, including Samuel Eto’o, are hoping for a victory Saturday against Denmark, which is also hoping for a come-back after stumbling 0-2 against the Netherlands.
Jules Nyongha, a former coach of the Indomitable Lions, says Cameroon will have to produce more focused and creative to overcome their next opponents. He says the team was completely ineffective and displayed uncharacteristic inexperience Monday, but can turn around their fortunes.
For many however, such hope is farfetched amid reports of mounting tension in the Lions den12. Some sidelined players are reportedly venting14 anger, and questioning why they weren’t called to play in the encounter against Japan.
The media and fans are watching to see if Paul le Guen can pull the team – and his reputation – out of a slump15.
1 initially | |
adv.最初,开始 | |
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2 restive | |
adj.不安宁的,不安静的 | |
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3 tenacious | |
adj.顽强的,固执的,记忆力强的,粘的 | |
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4 eventual | |
adj.最后的,结局的,最终的 | |
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5 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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6 dismal | |
adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的 | |
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7 arsenal | |
n.兵工厂,军械库 | |
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8 debuted | |
初次表演,初次登台(debut的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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9 defenders | |
n.防御者( defender的名词复数 );守卫者;保护者;辩护者 | |
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10 replicate | |
v.折叠,复制,模写;n.同样的样品;adj.转折的 | |
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11 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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12 den | |
n.兽穴;秘密地方;安静的小房间,私室 | |
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13 optimists | |
n.乐观主义者( optimist的名词复数 ) | |
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14 venting | |
消除; 泄去; 排去; 通风 | |
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15 slump | |
n.暴跌,意气消沉,(土地)下沉;vi.猛然掉落,坍塌,大幅度下跌 | |
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