Cameroonian fans are extremely confident that their team will get results against Nigeria in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.
The Indomitable Lions have just two points from their first two matches in Group B of African qualifying, a pool Nigeria top with six points also from two matches.
But Cameroonians did not seem too bothered by those numbers when they spoke with Completesportsnigeria.com here in Yaounde on Wednesday, two days before the first of two key back-to-back fixtures.
Wamba Martial, a black market foreign exchange dealer and seller of mobile phone accessories at Casino in the Central Market area in the heart of Yaounde, could not speak much English but he knew enough to predict a favourable result for his dear Lions.
“My friend, we win 2-0 in Nigeria,” he said, beaming and holding up two fingers after he had probably scalped this reporter in a dollars/francs exchange deal.
When asked what would happen in Uyo, the burly, genial Martial just held up four fingers, firing off a salvo of enthusiastic French. He had no doubts.
Fernando, one of the receptionists at the Phenix Hotel in the Titi Garage Quarters, a stone’s throw from the Stade Omnisport, was less optimistic than Martial but he still backed the Lions.
“The Super Eagles are a tough team but our Lions are hungry and determined to go to the World Cup,” Fernando said in passable, easy-to-understand English.
“We will try and not lose in Nigeria, but here in Yaounde we will beat the Super Eagles.”
When the friendly, eager-to-please Fernando was reminded that Zambia held Cameroon to a draw in Cameroon, he said: “What I know is the Lions play their hearts out when they play here and not many teams can beat them. Zambia just happened to get that draw. The Lions know they must beat Nigeria and I believe they will.”
Emmanuel, who owns taxi cabs in Yaounde and is also studying for a diploma, not only predicted the scores but named the scorers.
“Lions beat Nigeria in Uyo 2-0, Vincent Aboubakar score two. Aboubakar good player. Dangerous,” Emmanuel, who is in his 20s told Completesportsnigeria.com in smattering English as the Lions ended their training session at the Stade Omnisport just after noon.
“In Omnisport Cameroon four Nigeria zero. Aboubakar, Bassogog score,” the extremely optimistic Emmanuel, who ended up assisting this reporter as an unpaid city guide for most of the day, added.
Samuel, whose only English ‘words’ appeared to be big numbers for Cameroon in the results column, simply said, at the gates of Stade Omnisport: “Cameroon four. Bassagog finish Nigeria!”
There is a sense of real belief in Cameroonians ahead of the games, as 100 per cent every one Completesportsnigeria.com has spoken with here has little doubt that their heroes, Aboubakar, the big striker who plays for Porto, and the stocky wing speedster Bassogog, will ruin Nigeria’s World Cup chances and restore theirs.