The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will want to get back to winning ways when they host Zambia in their 2018 Fifa World Cup Qualifier on Saturday afternoon at Limbé Omnisport Stadium.
Kick-off is at 5pm.
Hosting a bruised Chipolopolo will not be an easy assignment for Hugo Broos’s side, but they will now bank on their home crowd to get a win.
The seven-time World Cup participants will want to bag their first win at home having drawn 1-1 against Algeria in their opening qualifier last month.
Although Group B is seen as one of the toughest in the campaign, Cameroon will want to collect maximum points and ensure they book a spot in Russia.
Looking at their previous encounter against Algeria, securing a point must be seen as something better than a loss and the hosts will be under pressure to win in Limbe.
Ahead of their 1-1 draw in Algiers, they beat Gambia 2-0 in the 2017 Caf Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers as well as a 2-1 win over Gabon in a friendly.
On the log table, the hosts sit at No 3 behind Algeria and Nigeria with one point – at the bottom is Wedson Nyirenda’s Zambia.
However, a win will then take them to four points on the log table which could ease their concerns en route to Russia.
Coming to the Southern Africans, Zambia will also want to challenge for a spot in Russia for the first time as they look to erase their 2-1 loss to the Super Eagles.
Sitting at the bottom of the group pushes Nyirenda’s side to go all out in Limbe and come out victorious although it will not be easy away from home.
After losing to Nigeria last month, Zambia also lost 1-0 to Zimbabwe in a friendly, but they managed to bounce back against Uganda on Tuesday night with a 1-0 win.
The win over the Cranes has given the Zambians a huge morale boost as they are chasing their maiden appearance at the World Cup finals.
“For me, it’s good to score and yes I scored for Zambia but it was not enough. I need to work extra hard also for other players,” said Mbesuma.
“We need to start winning games. It’s not always about the coach; we have to start pulling our socks up.
“We must start dying for mother Zambia, starting with the Cameroon game and I am sure every Chipolopolo player is prepared to handle that task.”
