Antonio Conceiçao, Coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, says the objective of his team is to secure a win against Gambia in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) clash on Saturday.
Conceiçao, speaking at a pre-match press conference on Friday in Douala ahead of their quarter-final match against The Gambia, said this was in spite of a lot of respect his side had for their opponents.
The hosts and five-time champions, Cameroon, will be looking to end debutants, The Gambia’s fairy tale run, when they clash at the Japoma Stadium in Douala on Saturday.
“We have managed a positive course, a satisfactory record so far. Against Gambia, the objective is to win. We are a playful team that likes to take the game on its own.
“Against us, there will be a team that defends well and have five to six high quality attacking players. So, Everything is possible even if we only consider victory,” he said.
Cameroon defender Jean Castelleto noted that even though they were up against a good team, he and his teammates were confident of victory against The Gambia.
“I am very happy to take part in this competition, everything is going very well, we have had a good run so far and against Gambia, the objective remains victory.
“We will play against a good team. In Douala, we have good memories. The reception is fantastic and we expect to have a popular fervor behind the team,” he said.
Three wins and a draw for hosts Cameroon guided them to the quarterfinals, where they faced another debutant after going through fellow newcomers Comoros in the Round of 16.
Captain Vincent Abubakar led by example to the moment, scoring six goals in four games, to become the first player since 1998 to reach this milestone in AFCON finals.
Now he is looking for even more while aiming with The Indomitable Lions for one more step towards the ultimate.
A sixth AFCON title is the dream of everyone in Cameroon, and coach Conceicao knows well an uneasy game against Gambia is another hurdle to pass to achieve that dream.
Meanwhile, Tom Saintfiet, Coach of Gambia, says his team is used to being referred to as ‘underdogs’ ahead of every game they have played in the AFCON in Cameroon.
Saintfiet speaking at a pre-match press conference on Friday in Douala ahead of their quarter-final match against Cameroon, said the hosts are the big favourites, adding, however, that his team would not be intimidated.
The debutants Gambia face hosts Cameroon in an unprecedented quarterfinal that promises a lot of excitement on Saturday at the Japoma Stadium in Douala from 4 p. m.
“Cameroon, one of the greatest nations in African and even world football, is the big favorite. I give my team a 20 per cent chance, the Gambian coach said.
“But we are used to it and since I took office, it has always been the case. We had to fight against stronger teams than us and we managed to get by.
“Against Cameroon, we will not be afraid, we will play to the fullest. It’s a bonus match. We visited Limbé, Bafoussam and now Douala, and we want to continue to Yaoundé,” he said.
Gambian Midfielder and hitman Ablie Jallow expressed confidence in the ability of the Scorpions to win the match, adding that they would approach the game with a firm belief of going through to the semis.
“It will be a tough match, but we are well prepared to go for the win. As in previous games, we will put all the assets on our side to pass.
“Cameroon will be accompanied by its fans; they are the ones under pressure. We will play our game with the firm intention of going through,” he said.
The hosts and five-time champions, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, may seem like favourites, but they have to face an emerging force in continental football, The Gambia.
The Gambia made it all the way through the qualifiers, starting from the preliminary round, passing a group that had DR Congo, Angola and Gabon.
Then to the finals, where they have drawn with Mali and beaten Mauritania, Tunisia and Guinea to reach the final eight.
Despite feeling the AFCON for the very first time, the Scorpions have shown that Cameroonians cannot even imagine taking them lightly.
Led by Belgian Saintfiet, Gambia will look once more to the lethal striking force of Jallow and Moussa Barrow who netted twice each in earlier matches.