Meet with any Cameroonian group in these parts of the United States – Washington DC metropolis, Boston and Atlanta, there are usually sudden outburst of furious debates over the performance of the Cameroon national team in recent years.

The team, nickname “Indomitable Lions” may not have won the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, but the coach Paul Le Guen has won respect from the Lions fans out here. Out of the fire hot debates there is usually one general agreement – Le Guen has improved the image of the team at least for the moment. He dug the team out of deep mud and placed it on the World Cup list, the debaters will say.

These fans undoubtedly are expecting an impressive exhibition similar to the showing in the Serbian capital Belgrade on Saturday 5 June. Cameroon had outplayed the Serbian until the referee called a doubtful penalty. The result, a 4 -3 score in favour of Serbia but Cameroon displayed a sophistication of a winning team.

At the time Le Guen accepted his first contract, he was aware the Cameroon national team was lying at the bottom of the group during the eliminatory stage of the World Cup matches. And in that group were Cameroon, Gabon, Morocco and Togo.

He knew he had four matches to play, two away, and two at home. He knew he was taking up a job of no error. True, no serious mistake occurred and jubilant Cameroon and the Lions’ fans saw their team sweep from one victory to another.

When Le Guen accepted his World Cup contract with Cameroon, he was aware of the legacy Cameroon has created at the FIFA World Cup. He was aware of the huge bank of passionate fans the Lions have worldwide. He was aware his reputation directly depends on his performance. And he was aware the team is the country’s pride. All these Le Guen knew rested over his shoulders as the team’s sole decision-maker.

Le Guen knows how to succeed. He has tasted and known the feelings of success,  understandably an aspect that helped his appointment as a coach to rescue Cameroon from falling off the Cliff, and being absent from the World Cup two successive times, or being absent at the World Cup festival in the mother continent. Le Guen as Manager won three league titles with French Division one sides, Lyon.

Le Guen knows the bitterness of failure too. The recent experience of his team being knocked out of the African Cup of Nations and a lost to Gabon which he just had beaten in Libreville, Gabon, a few weeks before the African Cup of Nations; what a bad feeling. He must now be fully aware of the pressure and impatience of the Cameroon passionate fans. 

Of the two tastes, one ought to believe, Le Guen must be aiming for victories and celebrations of successes – He must be working as hard, indeed harder than any critic is imagining.

None of the six Africa teams bound for the World Cup is placed on the list of possible World Cup semi-finalists or finalists, but Cameroon has been given a special attention and a special elite status by the world media and worldwide fans.

After the Italy-Cameroon friendly, Agence France Presse, and Reuters News Agency, profiled the entire Cameroon team man by man. And since then, Cameroon has been on the international media mirror. 

ESPN TV, a highly reputable American sports channel, in its prognostic rates Cameroon with a 52% chance of progressing to round two. Internet Blogs have given Cameroon a 50% chance to win the World Cup, and Brazil a 90% chance. 

Afghanistan TV since the last one month has been running several TV commentaries on Cameroon’s achievements at World Cups. ART Sports, an Arab Sport TV channel in its pre-World Cup commentaries characterises the Lions as an Africa team that plays naturally like Brazil.

If Cameroon is the talking point of the African teams around the world, and not the other five African participants, Le Guen ought to be aware Cameroon’s opponents must be preparing for a confrontation.

After all the criticisms, one must believe that Le Guen neither sleeps for eight hours a night, nor does he snore during the short period he is in bed.

All this while Le Guen has been tutoring tactics, technique, and laying down strategies he will hatch out in South Africa. Should those strategies work, Le Guen will create a new reputation for himself and build a new stage for Cameroon football.