Japan v Cameroon Tues 15 2.00am

TEAM NEWS

Coach Takeshi Okada has experimented with various line-ups in recent games, with CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda used as a lone front man in the training-ground friendly with Zimbabwe. Midfielder Makoto Hasebe has overcome a back injury and looks set to start.
Cameroon boss Paul Le Guen says he has 23 players fit and available but has hinted that Arsenal midfielder Alexandre Song might not make the starting XI. In another surprise, 36-year-old Hamidou Souleymanou will replace regular Idriss Kameni in goal.

MATCH PREVIEW

It was two decades ago that Roger Milla lit up Italia '90 where Cameroon became the first African nation ever to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Twenty years later and the Indomitable Lions will be looking to another striker to inspire their World Cup bid. Samuel Eto'o is a three-time African Footballer of the Year and one of the best goalscorers in the world, but he arrives in South Africa under a cloud following his threat to quit on the eve of the tournament, ironically following criticism from Milla.
Cameroon will need a fully focused Eto'o as they look to progress beyond the group stage for the first time since that memorable run in Italy. Head coach Paul Le Guen believes a repeat of the quarter-final run by the class of 1990 is a "reasonable objective". Defensive lapses, however, remain a worry and were evident during a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign in January, when they were eliminated at the last-eight stage.
Japan's preparations for this tournament could hardly have gone any worse. They have lost their last four matches, and this week could only draw 0-0 with Zimbabwe in a hastily arranged training-ground match. Goals are a major concern, with only England failing to keep them at bay in recent weeks.
Japan's poor run has given further ammunition to those who ridiculed coach Takeshi Okada's claim that his side have a chance of reaching the semi-finals. Okada, who led his country at the 1998 World Cup, reportedly offered to quit in the aftermath of his side's 2-0 defeat to South Korea in May, but later claimed he was joking. No one in his homeland will be laughing if the Blue Samurai's bid for a first World Cup win on foreign soil ends in failure.

MATCH STATS

Head-to-head
- Japan are unbeaten in three meetings with Cameroon and are yet to concede a goal against them (P3 W2 D1).
The most recent encounter was a 2-0 friendly win for Japan in August 2007.
Japan
The last of Japan's two victories at the World Cup took place exactly eight years ago on 14 June, when they ran out 2-0 victors over Tunisia in Osaka.
- The Blue Samurai also made their World Cup debut on 14 June 1998, with a 1-0 defeat to Argentina.
- They have never won a World Cup match on foreign soil, losing five of their six games.
Cameroon
- The Indomitable Lions have qualified for the World Cup six times - more than any other African side.
- Cameroon have never lost an opening World Cup match, having drawn four and won one. That victory was a famous 1-0 defeat of then-reigning champions Argentina in 1990.
- Paul Le Guen's side are on a seven-game winless run.

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal)
Assistants: Jose Cardinal, Bertino Miranda (both Portugal)
Fourth official: Oscar Ruiz (Colombia)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_10/default.stm

Tut tut. Stealing images...

Well I'm hardly likely to take them myself.

So, is my Japan photo not appearing for people ?

So, is my Japan photo not appearing for people ?

So, is my Japan photo not appearing for people ?

Much better.