Iconic World Cup Moments: Cameroon's dream run in 1990

Omam-Biyik heads the winner against Argentina, FIFA World Cup 1990

The Cameroon squad of 1990 was the one team which could be easily written-off. They arrived with an unknown coach from a Third Division Russian league, ageing players, a striker called out of retirement coupled with inconsistent displays in their qualification stages. However, this very team staged a memorable upset in their very opening fixture, stunning the World Champions, Argentina. This is the story of the valiant efforts of the Indomitable Lions in the 1990 World Cup.

The African nation of Cameroon was one of the World Cup’s biggest surprise packages. Nowadays, any nation which qualifies for the World Cup has players playing in some of the best leagues, if not best teams, of the world. Compare that to this Cameroon side: 11 out of 22 players played for domestic leagues in Yaounde and lower French divisions (with the exception of goalkeeper Thomas N’kono from RCD Espanol who was perhaps the best African goalkeeper of all time) and not one player was in a top flight European league.

Their coach, Valeri Nepomniachi, was appointed under peculiar circumstances. Cameroon president Paul Biya had requested Russian the FA to send over few coaches to help out the team. This followed the arrival of Nepomniachi, an unknown ex-player and then the manager of a Turkmenistan club in Russia’s third division football. Soon he was appointed the Head coach of a French speaking Cameroonian side where he could not speak any English or French. His talks were translated by a man who happened to be employed as a driver in the Cameroonian embassy in Moscow. He went into the World Cup after remarkably avoiding the sack following the remarkable exit of the defending champs in the Africa Cup of Nations in the group stages. To top it all president Biya had recalled 38-year-old striker Roger Milla who was three years out of international retirement.

As the team faced repeated defeats from obscure clubs during their pre-tournament training camps in Bordeaux and Yugoslavia, everyone was certain that this team was heading towards an unceremonious exit in the group .Then came the day when the mighty Argentines lead by their legend Diego Maradona got ready for the opening fixture of the 1990 World Cup at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan.

Maradona had just won the Serie A with Napoli, beating Milan by two points. As the match progressed, the Lions played superbly putting their bodies on the line, marking Maradona and tackling aggressively. With Andre Kana Biyik sent off, his brother and FC Laval forward Francois Omam netted in the goal that stunned the Argentines. The pitch was a showcase of some picturesque celebrations by the Cameroon side which made the World Champions look hapless. Maradona later in an interview said, “I cannot argue and I cannot make excuses. If Cameroon won, it was because they were the best side”.

The 1990 Cameroon team went further than any African team in the World Cup

Roger Milla was their catalyst in the big wins which Cameroon enjoyed. Being 1-0 down to Romania, Milla was the super sub to score the two goals to finish 2-1. He also scored twice midway into extra-time in the Round of 16 match against Colombia to take Cameroon into the quarter final to face England. It was the most intriguing match where despite the fact that Cameroon trailed courtesy a David Platt goal 25 minutes into the first half, the introduction of Milla changed the game.

Emmanuel Kunde converted from the spot with Ekeke following it up with a brilliant strike, the Indomitable Lions were 8 minutes away from thumping the Three Lions and advancing to the semi-final. But it finally took the great English side some great penalty earning skills of the Spurs forward Gary Lineker to convert from the spot twice to shatter the African dream.

What was great about this team was the hunger in them to succeed. On the pitch, they completely redefined the way the football of Africa was perceived by most. They had an infamously racist Italian crowed cheering for them all in the tournament. They played with their engines of willpower firing on all cylinders. As the words of the famous goalscorer Omam-Biyik reflect, “No one thought we could do anything against Maradona, but we knew we could. We hate it when European reporters ask us if we eat monkeys and have a witch doctor. We are real football players and we proved this tonight”.

Can the squad reiterate the success of 1990 at this year in Brazil? Can an inspired Samuel E’to lead squad lead the Lions to new heights? What can the mathematician in Volker Finke and his squad come up with?