FRANCE 98 – Match preview n°3

Austrian coach Herbert Prohaska might claim his team have made a remarkable improvement should they do well against Cameroon in their World Cup opener here on Thursday.

Austria, whose claim to fame was beating Germany in the 1978 finals, were thrashed 3-0 by the United States in Vienna in April and Prohaska said after the match: ” If we play like this, we’ll never get a single point in the World Cup finals. We were rubbish. “ Frankie Hejduk, Brian McBride and Claudio Reyna all scored for the States, who also beat Brazil in February. Austria weren’t even able to get on the scoresheet and scoring goals has been a problem for this team for whom little is expected at these finals.

Last November they qualified top of their qualifying group two points ahead of Scotland with eight wins and a draw out of 10 matches. But their strike rate of just 17 goals in 10 matches is hardly prolific. Prohaska needs to solve the lack of goals scored by his team against quality opposition. The 34-year-old Toni Polster was top scorer in the qualifying with seven goals and Andreas Herzog, no spring chicken himself at 29, scored three. Both are vital to the team. ” I need them both, “ Herzog says. ” They have shown their worth week in and week out in France. “

In fact Polster has only just been accepted as an international of real stature in his native country. His name used to be greeted with derision and jeers when it was announced at internationals. He was inconsistent, often interpreted as laziness, plus an outspoken nature did not endear him to his own public. But he has won over his critics and France 98 will be his final fling. Polster said the outcome of the game against Cameroon would give a good gauge of their chances in this tournament. ” A win against Cameroon would give us a great start and a good platform do to well in the final two games, “ Polster said. Prohaska believes Cameroon, Italy and Chile will prove no more fearsome opponents than the Scotland or Sweden who finished lower than them in their qualifying group.

As for Cameroon, the darlings of the 1990 World Cup when they were about 10 minutes from beating England and making the semi-finals, their new generation of players have not had the same success. In fact a deserved quarter-final loss to outsiders DR Congo in the African Nations Cup in Burkina Faso really put a dampener on the team. But a new coach since then in Frenchman Claude Leroy, who nows how to get the best out of African players, may make a difference. Leroy said on his team: ” They have this urge to do things well, to excel themselves, to fight hard and above all to go a long way in this competition. I can feel that this team really wants to show something positive. ” Problems about bonus money always seems to be a problem amongst the Cameroon players but if they can overcome their usual internal wrangling they certainly have the experience needed in this football festival.

Captain and goalkeeper Jacques Songo’o is playing in his third tournament, and the Deportivo keeper has matured into the stature of his predecessor Joseph Antoine Bell. Their defenders of Panahaiki Raymond Kalla and Rigobert Song of Metz, sent off for a tackle from behind in USA 94, plus Hertha Berlin striker Alphonse Tchami have the ability to excel at the highest level. Fullback Pierre Wome was one of those players who had a good African Nations Cup and it will be interesting how he takes to international football on a world scale. Lyon’s French-born striker Joseph-Desire Job, who once turned down an invitation to play for France’s Under-21 team, also did well in Burkina Faso. And the 20-year-old has caused a real stir at Lyon, illuminating the side with his goalscoring prowess. But Cameroon’s biggest star this summer could be Patrick Mboma, who emerged as top scorer in the African qualifiers with five goals. Formerly with Metz and PSG, he moved to Gamba Osaka and last year was top scorer in the Japanese league with 25 goals in 28 matches. Cameroon emerged unbeaten in their qualifying group, finishing with a four-point cushion over Angola.

Cameroon President Paul Biya, a big football fan, will attend Thursday’s clash, just as he did in Italy eight years ago when the Indomitable Lions beat reigning champions Argentina 1-0 with a goal from Omam-Biyik.