Cameroon and Croatia clash in the Brazilian city of Manaus today looking to put their troubles behind them and keep alive their hopes of making the FIFA World Cup knock-out rounds.
Having both lost their opening matches, a victory today is fundamental in staying alive in a tough Group A that features hosts Brazil and Mexico, but it would also allow each side to forget that off-field troubles that have threatened to disrupt their preparations.
In the case of Nigeria, it is the near certain absence of talismanic striker Samuel Eto’o due to a knee injury that is casting a shadow.
“I am hoping the gods grant me a miracle and that I am able to defend my dear, beautiful country,” Eto’o told Cameroon Radio-Television.
The 33-year-old’s knee problem stems from the end of his season with Chelsea and the forward says he has not been 100 percent for months, adding that he was in pain throughout Cameroon’s opening 1-0 loss to El Tri on Friday,
Croatia’s problems are somewhat more unorthodox, as they lick their wounds and try to digest the bitter pill of their 3-1 loss to Brazil on Thursday.
Two key incidents changed the game as Brazil were awarded a highly contentious penalty to go 2-1 ahead, before the European side controversially had an equalizer disallowed. However, more was to come at the weekend.
A Croatian Web site published photographs of naked players frolicking in a pool at their team base in Praia do Forte, prompting veteran striker Ivica Olic, 34, to accuse the country’s media of sabotaging their preparations.
“We came here to represent Croatia, give our best, we are preparing ourselves for a difficult match against Cameroon and then such things happen. Is it normal? Do people really need to watch us without our underpants, do our families have to blush?” Olic said in the Sportske Novosti daily.
Olic was not one of those exposed, but defenders Vedran Corluka and Dejan Lovren were not as fortunate. Paparazzi caught the two wearing nothing but their birthday suits.
The publication caused outrage among the players, who have decided to boycott the media until Olic spoke to Sportske Novosti.
The photos were well-received by women on social networking site, but they have not helped the mood of players aggrieved by what their coach Nico Kovac described as the “ridiculous” penalty awarded to the Selecao.
In their opener, Cameroon benefited from two seemingly valid Mexico goals chalked off for what seem to be nonexistent offsides, so the referee will likely come under as much scrutiny today as Corluka and Lovren’s pictures.
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