World Cup 2014 Qualifiers: Eto’o Fils to lead attack as Lions prepare to host Libya

This weekend (September 6-8 2013) the last round of qualifiers for next year’s Brazil World Cup 2014 will be played throughout the African continent. The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will play against Libya in one of the Group 1 qualifying matches.

With 10 points, the Lions head Group 1 but are closely followed by The Mediterranean Knights from Libya with 9 points while DR Congo has 6 points.

Indomitable Lions ready to Roar in Yaounde next Sunday

Next Sunday September 8 2013 home match against the Libyans will therefore be crucial as far as qualification in Group 1 is concerned. The Lions will extend their lead if they win but their chances of qualifying will be in jeopardy if they lose to their Libyan counterparts who are presently preparing in neigbouring Tunisia for the match. Libya will be travelling to Cameroon with a 30 man full fledged team to confront the Lions.

Volker Finke, the German head coach of the Lions last week released a provisional list of 25 players who will play in next Sunday’s qualifier. 4 Players will be on a waiting list. A qualifying ticket for next year’s world cup was one of the task Mr Finke was given when he was controversially appointed by Sports minister Adoum Garoua to replace JP Akono as head coach. FIFA recently lifted a ban on the Lions only after government sports officials including the Sports Minister backed down from interfering in the management of the national team and they had to also accept a provisional ruling body to manage affairs of Fecafoot, the country’s football authority. It followed controversial elections during which former Fecafoot boss  Iya Mohammed, presently detained at the Kondengui maximum security prison on allegations of corruption, was controversially elected to manage football affairs of the country from prison.

Libyan National team. Can upset weak Lion team even in Its den in Yaounde

.Below is a comprehensive list of the players called to camp by Finke. They were due at the Confederation of African Football Excellence Centre in Mbankomo, Yaoundé from yesterday September 1 2013. New Chelsea attacker Samuel Eto’o Fils is expected to lead the Lions attack line and deliver the goods when the Lions clash with Libya

In a related development, FIFA has announced that the draw for the third and final round of African World Cup qualifiers will be made on Monday, September 16 2013.

The Confederation of African Football, CAF, will host the draw in Cairo, Egypt. The matches will take the form of two-legged play-off’s, with the aggregate winners going through to Brazil 2014.

FIFA  also announced that the five best-placed national football teams in the world rankings, as of  September 12  2013, will be seeded for the draws.

The first legs of the play-off’s will take place between 11 – 15 October 2013, while the second and decisive ties will take place on 15 – 19 November 2013.

Volker Finke. Lions coach. First Litmus test