FRANCE 98 – Match Summary n°3

Toulouse, 11 June, 21 h 00

Cameroon were kicking themselves after letting in a late goal from Austria and throwing away a chance to go top of Group B after their opening World Cup game.

Cameroon went ahead 1-0 thanks to Pierre Djaka Njanka Beyaka, who scored the best goal of the World Cup to date. But Toni Polster replied for Austria in the 90th minute. A dejected Cameroon coach Claude Le Roy said: ” We are naturally very disappointed to have conceded an equaliser right at the death. ” But I am proud of my team, they’re still very young. “ Austrian coach Herbert Prohaska said his side merited the draw. ” Cameroon had no chances until their goal. We weren’t very good in midfield but we fought a lot and gave everything, as we did in qualifying. “

Njanka conjured up his magical goal when he collected the ball just inside the Austria half on the left and set off goalbound. He went past Wolfgang Feiersinger then cut inside Peter Schottel before unleashing a shot that left Michael Konsel in the Austrian goal helpless. Before that the game was a dud, unlike the first three matches of the World Cup that had produced a minimum of three goals each.

Cameroon’s dream of upsetting Austria were dashed when Polster blasted home from six metres just before the final whistle. ” When you’ve got experience, you know it’s never lost until the final whistle so you keep going, “ the Austrian captain said afterwards. It was his 16th goal in World Cup competition and his seventh in the 1998 campaign, including qualifying. His strike proved a bitter blow for a Cameroon side whose attack had been weakened due to Patrick Mboma, his side’s leading scorer in the qualifiers with five out of their 10 goals, being forced to play in a defensive-midfield position. It is a role usually occupied by English Premiership side Manchester United target Marc Vivien-Foe, who broke a leg just before the tournament. It left Samuel Ipoua playing alongside veteran Francois Omam-Biyck – famous for his winning goal in the opening game of the 1990 World Cup against then champions Argentina.

Ipoua had an early chance when he had the Austrian goal at his mercy in the fourth minute. The 25-year-old, who plays for Austria Vienna, headed straight at Konsel who took it with ease. Missed passes, missed tackles and missed chances spoiled what had promised to be a football festival. Even Austria’s Polster caught the blunder bug until his all-vital last gasp saver that kept Austria’s hopes of getting through to the next round intact. Presented with a golden opportunity in the 25th minute he managed only to give Cameroon goalkeeper Jacques Songo’o the easiest of saves.

A rare bright moment came half-way through the first half with a brilliant piece of individual play from Cameroon’s Didier Angibeau who took the ball towards the byeline. The 23-year-old looked up, saw that Konsel was slightly off his line, and instead of crossing flashed in a shot that the Austrian keeper did well to get a hand to and tip over for a corner.

The first-half was marred by a series of over the top tackles that threatened to turn the match into a battle. Cameroon’s Njanka slid in, studs showing, on Harald Cerny but Paraguayan referee Elias Gonzalez Chavez let it go.

Both teams were greeted by jeers when the half-time whistle blew in a game that was doing little to warm up the crowd on a chilly Toulouse night.