Reading the Mind of Cameroon's Soccer Coach Paul Le Guen

By Innocent Chia
If he decided to quit his job this minute as head coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Paul Le Guen would have reason to say that he succeeded in the dual mission that he was assigned: He beat a stack of odds by qualifying the team for the Angola 2010 African Cup of Nations and simultaneously qualifying for the historic 2010 World Cup that South Africa will be hosting this summer. But his team has been far from indomitable. An esteemed senior colleague of mine, the brazen Jean Lambert Nang had gone as far as opining that Le Guen’s resume was too pale and his experience paltry for the team.  That notwithstanding, Le Guen has been making some pretty telling strategic moves in a manner that is revealing of someone who is mindful of the storied past of the Lions.

It has been mighty difficult to put his stamp on this identity-less team, yet Paul Le Guen’s intital timid strides are fast becoming noticeable footprints. When he reported for duty the Lions were on life-support scrambling for dear life. An apocalyptic ending was envisioned at the 2011 polls for the ruling political elite if the team were to be ousted at the qualifying rounds of AFCON 2010 and SA 2010.

Would you pay Le Guen FCFA 428 million for the Coaching Job?

There was so much riding on the qualification that Le Guen would have been the silliest buffoon ever if he had not used the desperation to work in his favor. It explains why he asked for such a handsome contract it remained undisclosed until serious investigation by the Portuguese futbolfinance.com revealed that Le Guen signed for FCFA 428 million, about FCFA 71 million a month or FCFA 2.36 million per day. Also, and very important, he insisted on not having the kind of interference from the government that had frustrated his predecessors.

Once on the field he stirred an initial storm by bouncing Rigobert Song off the captainship title as well as benching him in the first friendly game under his leadership. He turned to Eto’o Fils for the leadership of his peers. Eto’o accepted the captain band with gusto even as the legendary Roger Milla was kicking and screaming against the change. It was a tie whether or not the decision to bench Song in the friendly against Austria was the best. At the time, The Chiareport esteemed the psychological value of the change on a selection that did not deserve to be called a team. It was obvious Le Guen’s move was meant to motivate a younger generation whose wings were getting clipped by a lethargic few that were basking in the glory and trophy of their yesteryears. 

With a hung jury on the benching of Song, and considering Rigobert’s sizzling performances in his Turkish club, Trabzonspor, Le Guen played smart and fielded the back stopper.  Le Guen’s decision was informed in large part by history. In 1990 Coach Valeri Nepomniachi was pressured all the way at the Presidency to include the 38 year old Roger Milla in his final selection for the Italia World Cup. Milla’s game-changing brilliance has made a tour of the world several times over. This perspective, I maintain, has not been lost on Le Guen. But the former French International most remembered for his PSG days has worked around the pressure with such finesse that even the concerned did not see it coming. Here is how he outmaneuvered Song, Njitap and Kameni.

 
The Le Guen Master Plan to rid of Liabilities

Le Guen figured out that there would be some popular outrage if he dried out Song and Njitap the minute he joined the Lions. He figured that he did not need popular angst riding against him while the team was still fighting for its day in the sun. He did not need also for 18 million Cameroonians to be second guessing his every decision if he sat out Song and or Njitap and failed to qualify. He had to operate with known quantities and, if it was not the outcome hoped for by his employers, well….

But it worked out and the team squeaked through the qualifiers. Le Guen decided that the African Cup of Nations would be the perfect place to begin executing his plan of selecting his team for the World Cup. It was a simple plan:

Phase 1: Sacrifice the African Cup of Nations Trophy by playing even the players he no longer believed could do it at such high a level. The prominently questionable players in this category included Rigobert Song and Geremi Njitap. While he recognized their ability and knowledge of the game, his vision was that he could no longer build the foundation on these guys. They were the past of the team and he was charged with building the future.

Phase 2: By playing them at the African Cup of Nations he was banking on stretching them thin and showing their limitations. He wanted for the nation of backers to come to the same conclusion that Otto Pfister and other coaches had come to but feared public wrath. Paul Le Guen reversed roles for the public to be the jury while he reserved the right to be the judge.
Song faltered as opposing teams targeted him to cracking point. So too did Geremi cave to pressure…  Le Guen had, just like that, established the difference in roles between an old offensive player like Milla and the defensive responsibilities of Njitap and Song. Milla did not have to struggle to seize the ball from someone or run after the other players. As the last line of defense before the goalie, Njitap and Song had to be more than experienced. They had to be fit, athletic and swift. Their offensive opponents did the talking for Le Guen and outpaced the experienced yet fatigued defensive line of the Lions.

Casualty of War: Thomas Nkono

Phase 3: With the bitter taste of elimination at the CAN eighth finals still fresh on the tongue, Le Guen has now shifted gears with a new line up without Njitap Song and kameni. How Kameni featured in the mix of goners came as a surprise to many. But it came as no surprise to many others who have been keeping abreast of a fault line between Thomas Nkono and Le Guen over Nkono’s unwillingness to either substitute Kameni (Nkono played for RCD Espagno, where he also coached Kameni) or have two other back up goalies.

Pursuant to his goal of purging the Lions of undesirable elements Le Guen worked to let go of Nkono as Assistant Coach in-charge of goalkeepers. With kameni's protégé gone, it was a done deal that Kameni would be out the door in favor of Souleymanou. Not allowing any goal in the March 3rd friendly encounter against Italy in Monaco augured well for Souleymanou. There is no doubt that Le Guen is billing important games such as the friendly against Italy to provide a shot in the arm for a selection that has to learn to gel as a team and not just a bunch of big star names.

With the second highest salary (South Africa’s coach is most paid of 5 African countries and 9th overall) among African countries qualified for the World Cup (16th in ranking out of the 32 participating nations),  Le Guen has no excuses but to deliver the best. He has largely had things going his way. He better get things going in the way of the team and supporters of the Lions who are living on less than a dollar a day, yet their government is paying Le Guen close to $5,000 a day, or almost $210 dollars every hour for 24 hours a day and seven days a week. 

Comments

[Fritz]

Good analysis. Le Guen displayed tact, balls and tactical vision on the way forward in a difficult situation.
Knowing how Cameroon operates, I hope Le Guen has Plan B if R Song lobbies Popol thru Milla and he is included in the team by a Presidential decree. Then he will have to either bench him throughout the tournament and ignore him! Time for the team to move forward to a new generation of players! Give the young guys a chance!

[Elker]

this is a very good piece...i must say the affairs of la republic are just so complicated and the national team is right into this deep mess the whole country is winding towards.
well,Le Guen may not have had a very good and prosperous coaching experience before he picked up this job with the lions,i think we can only get coaches who really got balls to face the 18 million side coaches we have in Cameroon and the so called officials who claim to run the ever conflicting FECAFOOT and the MINISTRY OF SPORTS.

People should understand soccer of today is very much commercialized and so some soccer leagues are rated higher and more stronger than others. I will agree with you as far as Song,Njitap are concerned, they have been courageously replaced by very good,young,vibrant boys who play very regularly in tough leagues, especially when compared with where those old players play - no bad publicity intended.
People shouldn't forget,we have been paired to face Holland,Denmark and of course Japan in SA and over 90% of these players future in very prosperous and physical leagues.
However,i personally think,the issues of that country of ours are just like somebody who is sick but does not know what and where hurts ...we just hope for the lucky gods of soccer to be with the players who will and always want to play to portray patriotism...good piece again

[Timngum Genesis]

Yes Bobe,
Once more your analyses on Paul Le Guen and his tactics to build a strong squad are great. However, i have my worry on who to replace Njitap. We need a Njitap, and i am also sure PAUL LE GUEN is aware. So far R. Song has been replaced and the defence of Nkolu , Bassong, Ektto do not need Song. A see a Njitap lacking in that Team. We need a free kick specialised.Hope Le Guen provides us with one soon.I am sure we a saying the same thing, that Njitap need to be replaced, but that in the field we are still to see who has taken over that role.Eto is not good at free kicks may be Emmana could feed into that shoe.
Again talking about Eto i am afraid his form may be brought to question, if morinhnu continue to field him toward the last minutes of Inter matches. Remember since Eto returnd from the nations cup he has not started a single leaque game, except the Champion leaque match with Chelsea.

[Julio Bats]

Excellent piece, Inno! Even someone who does not follow Kamer soccer regularly will get the gist clearly... I am one for despising every coach coming out of France into Africa, especially with that kind of outrageously high pay. But it seems like this guy Le Guen has a plan. So let's see if he can play his chess game right when the tribal lobbyists come knocking a few days before final World Cup selecion...

[Abange]

"Great article and analysis, not sure what to make of Le Guen pay check, question I have is the pay check distriubuted amongst his assistants or team he brought along? what sort of taxes does he pay to receive that money, and his agents and managers or is it one lump sum payment? It will be nice to explore those so we know exactly why he is being paid that much compared to other coaches. Regarding the beef with old players, I will agree with him 1000% to bring in fresh legs and a new lions team as our dependent on the old guard is no good for the future of Cameroon football, Miller's and Nkono's legacy to the national team has not done any good to the team rather than foster tribalism and not merit, great for an outsider to make such bold decisions for our national team."

[DAVIS]

Bobe,
what is your point? do you want Eto'o replaced?How do you want him to pick up his form if he sits on the bench.

[Isaac]

Hi! Bobe Chia,keep up youngman. You have revealed so many secrets in one write-up. I remember you used to be a commentator back there. How about going back to your old job like Song and Njitap will want to be 40years like their protegee before they quit the lions. Keep writing as we keep praying for our poor and politically troubled country with a rich football coach yet struggling to have a good meal a day. FCFA 428m is no chicken cash. I hope the country will not return to operation 'cour de coeur'and the bad dreams that continue to follow it. We are with you!

[Don Nkeng]

Good Article Chia. However I can't help but get very worried for the future of Cameroon if, as you rightly said, the ruling party's future hung in the balance depending on the Lion's performance.... My fellow Cameroonians, why are we so superficial? How does the success or failure of the Lions impact on the livelihood of the nation?? Anyway, more of that topic another time..
As for Le Guen. First of all, his salary is absolutely astronomic in any terms. But I think there's no substitute for quality, so he's probably worth it given his initial performance in qualifying the Lions for the WC 2010. However since then, I feel he has yet to come up to his true potential. I hope it's because of the transition the team is going through, but I worry nonetheless. However I raise my hat to him for trying to integrate the new generation with the old.Rigobert, Njitap et al have been absolutely fantastic for the Lions over the years, and it's time they took a rest. They simply can't match the pace of the game currently and understandably. And as you said Chia, the position of a defender is crucial for the overall stability of the team. Now Le Guen needs to go out of his way, or rather do his duty seeing as we pay him $5000 per day, and work on the strikers department. He needs to forage the planet if that's what it takes and find us a pointman as number 9. A Patrick Mboma double if you like; a Hernan Crespo; a Fernando Torres..... We desperately need to sharpen that offense line to stand a chance during this world cup. But first, we must make do with what we have. Samuel Eto'o is a problem!!!!! He is NOT a 'dead ball' specialist.. Free-kicks, corners etc are not his domain. WHY then has he been taking those??? We have all seen the outcomes, so can I please ask what is going on? Either he has grown a 'big-head' as captain, or Le Guen has lost control of him. Mr Chia, could you ask Jean Lambert what he thinks about this?? For should that continue, we will end up leaving the World Cup in the first round with 3points, zero goals scored, zero conceeded. Football is about how you can keep your opponents out of your goal, but getting the ball into your opponents goal. Not what we saw last week against Italy. Not a single shot either on, or off goal....
Well, Le Guen has his work cut our for him. Will he succeed? Will he fail? The drama that is Cameroon continues...... Or what do you all think?

[Nseibangha cyries]

good stuff but there is something lacking. You cannot defend without making goals.I really think we need a substitute for these guys , eto,o, webo and emana.hey don`t forget, we need to flog Idrissou out of the team with a whip. we need a striker and fast before the w.c in s.africa. if we cannot get a good striker internationally, man let turn and take a look of what we have home. you never may know.remember the squad of 1990.most were home base.don´t mimnmise what you have.

[wain.]

Eto needs to act/be the striker. Most defences are relaxed bec no one puts pressure on them. Can someone tell me why eto wants to be a play maker. It is clear why he is/ can't score goals. He falls too far behind, taking conner/free kicks. He is a deadly stricker and will pull 2-3 players on him most of the time. This can free up other players. He can't play and score now bec he is out of place. Go back to the basics and stop trying to do too much. I like him,and this is just my observation for now. We can have other strikers but they will not have the impact he can have.
As for the coach, favouritism/ tribalism; this is a chronic issue with african countries, will take long to resolve.
We have good players no doubt, but we have to change our formation/ style, and these guys should play with passion,pride for their nation.
Watching Cameroon play these days is mind bugging, thank God one cannot pull out the hair from their head when there is nothing left from all these years of watching the lions. A 90 min game and you can count the number of sluggish attempts at the goal ????. If things don't change fast, it will be a nightmare in SA.

[Timngum]

I am sure no one is insinuating that Eto be replaced, but that his form on the eve of the wc is a call for concern. Someone seems to be manipulating the form of one of the greatest strickers on earth.Eto is being used in the wrong position. We have known Eto to Play the 9 position in the field. He has delivered in that position, and coach Morinhnu rather than let Eto operate as a 9, he prefers Miloto and Panddec.That formular is working against him, now at inter, and we hope he gives back to Eto his leading role, upfront.
Talking about Eto and the Cameroon squad, the goals can only starts comming if Emmana plays behind Eto, and Mamkoun,Eyong and Mbia attack from the Midfield. Remember, milla, Omam ,Mboma, all excelled with the midfield expertise of Aberga, Makanaky,Mbu, Marc Foe( may his soul rest in peace)olembe etc.
At moment, if Leguen maintains Nkoulu, Bassong, Ekotto,Madjeck (Matip) at Defence,including the defensive midfield of A Song, cameroon may concede minimal goals. The goal keeping tactics of Kameni are a factor we may have to reconsider. However, at Espanol-Spain his performance is outstanding. I have watched his games and any coach will give him the No 1 shirt for cameroon. Hope Le Guen takes the right decisions, given that his pay package allows for no mistakes. $5ooo a day.....? God forbid.

[new balance]

I couldn't agree with you more! And thanks for the blog award! I'm just thrilled to receive this award from you. I'll be sure to keep this blog an interesting place for my awesome readers, such as yourself, to keep coming back to!