2002 FIFA World Cup (tm) Finals - Results & Fixtures - Cameroon vs Saudi Arabia

6 Jun 2002


Cameroon	1 - 0	Saudi Arabia
	(HT: 0 - 0)

Game Details
Venue Saitama Stadium 2002	Attendance 52328
Referee Terje Hauge (NOR) Assistant Referees Roland Van Nylen (BEL) Maciej Wierzbowski (POL)

Game Events
#	Date	Player	Event	Period	Mins	H/A
1	6 Jun 2002	Pierre Wome Nlend	Yellow Card	First Half	10	H
2	6 Jun 2002	Obeid Al-Dossari	Player Out	First Half	35	A
3	6 Jun 2002	Al-Hassan Al-Yami	Substitute In	First Half	35	A
4	6 Jun 2002	Daniel Ngom Kome	Player Out	Second Half	1	H
5	6 Jun 2002	Salomon Olembe	Substitute In	Second Half	1	H
6	6 Jun 2002	Al-Hassan Al-Yami	Yellow Card	Second Half	14	A
7	6 Jun 2002	Samuel Eto'o	Goal	Second Half	21	H
8	6 Jun 2002	Abdallah Sulaimane	Player Out	Second Half	27	A
9	6 Jun 2002	Abdallah Al-Jamaan Al-Dossari	Substitute In	Second Half	27	A
10	6 Jun 2002	Patrick Mboma	Player Out	Second Half	29	H
11	6 Jun 2002	Pius Ndiefi	Substitute In	Second Half	29	H
12	6 Jun 2002	Pierre Wome Nlend	Player Out	Second Half	39	H
13	6 Jun 2002	Pierre Njanka Beaka	Substitute In	Second Half	39	H
14	6 Jun 2002	Abdel Aziz Al-Khathran	Player Out	Second Half	41	A
15	6 Jun 2002	Mohamed Nour Al-Hossawi	Substitute In	Second Half	41	A

Match report

African and Olympic champions Cameroon missed a sackful of chances - but Samuel Eto'o bagged the one that counted to see off stubborn Saudi Arabia 1-0. Real Mallorca striker Eto'o ended 65 minutes of backs to the wall Saudi resistance to take Cameroon to the brink of the second round of the World Cup with a neat finish past Mohammed al Deayea for his 12th international goal after a through ball from Geremi. But they still had to fight all the way for their precious Group E win to go second behind Germany on four points. Cameroon will face the Germans in their final game - but while the winner of that encounter will go through come what may a draw would leave the Africans sweating on the outcome of Ireland's match against the Saudis. A bigger winning margin for the Irish than Cameroon achieved on Thursday would put the Africans out, Germany having thrashed the Arab side 8-0.
Saudi Arabia, who made five changes from that outclassed line-up, thus became the first of the 32 teams competing at the finals to depart the competition. But after a vastly improved showing they can prepare to leave with their heads held far higher than after their German nightmare. They were admirably tenacious in the opening 45 minutes as the Africans had two efforts ruled out for offside. Cameroon, the only African side ever to make the quarter-finals with their 1990 exploits, were hell-bent on improving on a draw in their first match against Ireland. But they struggled for what seemed like an eternity to turn their dominance into goals. They almost got off to a perfect start when Spanish-based midfielder Daniel Nkome came close to winning a penalty after 17 seconds as he went tumbling in the area but Norwegian referee Terje Hauge was unimpressed. Saudi coach Nasser al-Johar, nicknamed Mr Fixit, picked a five-man defence with skipper and striker Sami al-Jaber on the sidelines injured. Obaid al-Dosari, replacing al-Jaber, should have put them into a shock lead on 10 minutes but he headed weakly over from Abdullah Alwaked al-Shahrani's superb cross from the right flank. Patrick Mboma put the ball in the net for the African and Olympic champions two minutes later but the former African player of the year, on target against the Irish, had strayed offside. Former Asian player of the year Nawaf al-Temyat tried a speculative effort from some 25 metres in the 21st minute but his effort flew well over. Al Dosari fell awkwardly and went off on a stretcher ten minutes before the break to be replaced by Al Hasan al Yami. Al-Temyat should have scored on 42 minutes but rolled a right-foot low effort agonisingly wide and then was unlucky with a neat curled effort wide of Alioum Boukar's left-hand post as the Saudis pressed forward. In-between times, Lauren had a header ruled out for offside. Al-Deayea saved a Raymond Kalla towering header and then fielded a shot from Lauren as Cameroon upped the ante after the restart and Eto'o then ballooned an effort well over the bar from just inside the box before the Saudi keeper plucked a Rigobert Song header out of the air. Substitute Salomon Olembe then sent a fizzing drive narrowly off target before Eto'o finally ended the tortune after 65 minutes, poking the ball home with his right boot off Geremi's flick before tearing his shirt off and rushing to the touchline to embrace coach Winfried Schafer. Al-Temyat was the Saudi's main threat in the second period but hit a low drive too close to keeper Boukar Alioum with 18 minutes to go and after negotiating four minutes of added time Cameroon held out.

(courtesy of dailysoccer)




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Page created by Christakis Ioannou on 6 June 2002 23:31:44.