Conceiçao Answers ‘Prayers’ Of Fans, Releases 27 Lions For Mozambique Clash

In a presser held today September 28 at the Japoma conference hall, Portuguese trainer Antonio Conceiçao erased four players from his initial list of 32 candidates to face Mozambique in a two legged tie, with sights firmly set for Qatar 2022.

After the failed mission to the Stade E’bimpe in Abidjan some three weeks ago, fans were absolutely livid as to why the gaffer replaced full – backs; Fai Collins and Olivier Mbaizo in favor of Duplexe Tchamba and Dawa Tchakonte.

Antonio Conceiçao made only few changes in view of the next Lions camp in October but by default Dawa and Tchamba.

During his presser held at 3 pm CAT this afternoon, the gaffer opted to leave out Dawa Tchakonte much to the delight of fans who poured in with reactions right afterwards.

Dawa Tchakonte, Arnaud Djoum, Ignatius Ganago and John Mary Uzueghunam didn’t all make the cut in the trainer’s final list.

Ironically, Dawa Tchakonte just made the team of the week in the Romanian top-flight after scoring on match day 10 for Botosani against Craiova.

Antonio Conceiçao however, after his choices, pleaded with the fans to respect players of the indomitable Lions who at every giving moment put in a lot of hard work to satisfy fatherland.

The erstwhile FC Cluj coach thinks there’s an uneasy flow to the national team due to friction at the U20 and U23 categories respectively.

‘It is important that the U20 and U23 National teams play for continuity. It is difficult to continue tracking players especially when the U23 selection lastly played in 2019,’ Conceiçao reiterated.

‘I promise to to remain transparent. You all want to in the AFCON and we are working on getting there. Fairplay is however the watchword. It shouldn’t be as though when we win, everyone is happy, when we lose, fans go berserk. We lost against Cote D’Ivoire but we cannot judge two years of work in a couple of minutes, ‘ the 59 year old Lions trainer preached.

Players retained for the WC qualifiers group D games against Mozambique;

Goalkeepers
Narcisse Nlend
Simon Omossola
Epassy
Efala

Defenders
Fai Collins
Olivier Mbaizo
Michael Ngadeu
Harold Moukoudi
Jean Charles Castelleto
Jean Claude Bilong
Tchamba Duplexe
Nohou Toulo
Junior Kotto

Midfeilders
Kunde Malong
Zambo Anguissa
Oum Gouet
Hongla Martin
Lea Siliki
Neyou Yvan

Forwards
Bassogog
Choupo Moting
Bahoken Stephane
Toko Ekambi
Moumi Ngamaleu
Lambert Araina
Aboubakar Vincent
Paul George Ntep

Cameroon will face Mozambique on Oct. 8 in the country’s economic capital of Douala, before making the trip to Morocco to pit Mozambique for a second time in a spin. Two victories for the Lions mean an edge over the Cote D’Ivoire as the Elephants separated on a parity ( 0-0) against Mozambique on match day one.