Emerging out of Africa’s toughest group – beating Morocco, Gabon and Emmanuel Adebayor’s Togo – South Africa 2010 will be Cameroon’s fifth appearance in their last six World Cups. The most successful of all the African Nations, their run to the quarter-finals in 1990 was the stuff of legend. Since then however, they’ve failed to advance past the group stages, missing out altogether in 2006. But with the tournament being staged on African soil for the first time, could the time be right for one of the home nations to go all the way? The feeling might be that Ghana or the Ivory Coast are better placed to make such a challenge, but Cameroon out-performed both at the African Cup of Nations 2008, and shouldn’t be written off just yet. Samuel Eto’o is still the spearhead, but every single one of the current squad plays in one of the major European leagues. From goalkeeper Carlos Kameni through Rigobert Song, Achille Emana & Eto’o, the spine of this side is packed through with top level experience – long gone are the days when Roger Milla, Omam-Biyik and the rest sprang out of nowhere to shock the watching world.

Samuel Eto’o

Age: 28
Position: Striker
Club: Inter Milan
Caps: 87 (42 goals)

Having plundered goals at the very highest level throughout his career, Eto’o is one of the premier strikers of the last decade. Released by Real Madrid aged 19, he went on to establish himself as a Barcelona legend, firing them to 3 La Liga titles and 2 Champions League trophies before moving to Inter Milan in 2009. As the leading scorer in their qualification campaign, it goes without saying that the ‘Indomitable Lions’ will yet again be looking to the talismanic Eto’o for inspiration in South Africa.