Cameroon: Pagou holds his bet against Ivory Coast
Keywords : Cameroon
Meta description: David Pagou's Cameroon defeated Ivory Coast 1-0. A success that confirms the strong choices of the Cameroonian breeder and his new generation.
Hat: David Pagou continues to give credit to his strong choices with Cameroon. After two encouraging first days, the Indomptable Lions hit a big blow by dominating Côte d'Ivoire from Hervé Renard.
Cameroon won the friendly shock against the Elephants (1-0), this Saturday at the Alassane Ouattara stadium in Ebimpé. Bill Nsongo scored the only goal of the game at the 46th minute, on a pass from Arthur Avom.
This victory takes a particular flavor for David Pagou. After launching the playoffs of CAN 2027 with a win over the Comoros (3-1), Cameroon had hung Congo (1-1) four days later. In front of Côte d'Ivoire, the Cameroonian technician obtained a new positive result, this time against an opponent of another calibre.
Pagou begins to silence doubts
When David Pagou unveiled his group for this international window, his choices generated many reactions. The breeder had decided to dispense with several usual executives, including André Onana, Vincent Aboubakar, Choupo-Moting, Nouhou Tolo, Zambo Anguissa and N'Koudou. At the same time, he has largely rejuvenated his group and offered their chance to several new faces.
However, the first benefits had not completely removed the questions. Cameroon had certainly dominated the Comoros, but had conceded a goal. In the Congo, the Lions then conceded the opening of the score before returning to height.
Facing Côte d'Ivoire, the defensive face has changed. Pagou's men resisted the Ivorian offensives and kept their cage inviolated until the final whistle. A particularly interesting strength against a team that had scored four goals in its first two games under Hervé Renard.
The first defeat of Renard's return
For Hervé Renard, however, this meeting marks a first stop. Back on the Ivorian bench in August, the Frenchman began his second run at the head of the Elephants with two CAN 2027 qualifying victories: 2-0 against Ghana and 2-0 against Somalia.
This defeat, however, remains to be relativized as it takes place in a friendly match. She does not take away anything from Cameroonian performance, which just needed a leading opponent to measure the progress of this rejuvenated team.
David Pagou had announced before the game that his players were not going to Abidjan to make figuration. "We didn't come to give a gift to Côte d'Ivoire," the Cameroonian breeder warned. His men finally joined the words.
Cameroon will now have to confirm this momentum in the coming official deadlines. But one thing is already certain: Pagou's bold choices are beginning to produce results that are becoming increasingly difficult to minimize.
