Cameroon: World Cup player by player

The African champions with a very high reputation to maintain and are rated as a better team than today's winner Senegal.

GOALKEEPERS

ALIOUM BAKAR

Vyes with veteran Jacques Songo'o to be first choice. Started his career at Prevoyance Yaounde before moving to Turkey in 1995 and is a good catcher of the ball with reasonable kicking skills but arguably Songo'o is the more dominating presence.

JACQUES SONG'O

Excellent goalkeeper who will be an imposing figure for Cameroon in June. Plays in France for Metz and was highly regarded in Spain after several years with Deportivo. Even his warm-ups are more spectacular and agile than most of his contemporaries work in games. Very fine reflexes and good command of his area - a real leader for his side on and off the pitch.

CARLOS KAMENI

The third choice for Cameroon coach Winfried Schafer but has his supports at Juventus where he retained his place in the goalkeeping set-up after the arrival of Gianluigi Buffon in a world record transfer. Raw but agile and improving enough to possibly go on loan from th Turin club soon.

DEFENDERS

RIGOBERT SONG

Graceful passer who uses the ball well and rarely gives the ball away but he can be pressurised into making mistakes as both Liverpool and West Ham found. Two good feet and a well balanced runner Song is looked for a lot by his teammates to force the play into midfield but positionally weak at times and currently on loan at Cologne where his form has been excellent.

RAYMOND KALLA

Dominating defender who is very strong in the air but is one of the few first choices who played in domestic football until well after his team mates. A powerful runner and tackler. Signed for Bochum earlier in May after offers to move to England.

PIERRE WOME

Plays in Italy for Bologna where he had an excellent season. Hard runner and tackler who is physically imposing and uses his weight well. Cameroon will need him on top form to make tackles on runners who break from midfield against them.

LUCIEN METTOMO

A good season for Manchester City has seen this versatile defender advance into the Cameroon squad. Used by Schafer to deputise for others and he can play wide or in the centre of defence.

PIERRE NJANKA

A surprise find by Claude LeRoy, former Cameroon coach, before the 1998 World Cup finals and he has kept his place among the side by becoming a consistent defender. Tackles well and contributes to the play ahead of him, Njanka played in 9 out of 10 World Cup qualifiers last year as Cameroon became the first side to reach the tournament.

MIDFIELDERS

BILL TCHATO

Montpellier ball-winner who can also play in defender but used in midfielder by Schafer to cover the defenders as the holding midfield player.

NICHOLAS ALNOUDJI

Dropped ahead of the 1998 World Cup finals, Alnoudji then experienced a long international lay-off before a recall under Schafer. He is used across the midfield as a second choice to cover for injuries and is mobile and aware enough to use the ball well.

ERIC DJEMBA

A recent introduction to the Cameroon team after establishing himself in the Nantes first team. His compact midfield play is mature beyond his years and he is one of the best products of an impressive Nantes youth system in the past three years.

MARC VIVIEN FOE

Strong, midfield pivot for Cameroon who suffered a broken leg just before the 1998 World Cup finals and missed out on the tournament. Rugged tackler and very physical, Foe had good spells in England before returning to French football He can be a real threat with head and boot from corners and free kicks.

LAUREN

Born in Cameroon but brought up in Spain, he is usually used in midfield by Schafer despite a notable conversion to a rugged right back this season by Arsenal which kept his place in the team and helped the London club to two domestic honours. Linked with Celta Vigo in the spring he can work the wing positions very well when he moves forward.

GEREMY NJITAP

Used on the right-hand side for Cameroon but still struggling to breakout of Madrid's reservee team. He has been linked again with Chelsea in recent weeks and can be an effective winger. Very fast and able to take on defenders but while a cross is often the result an actual finish from this talented player rarely is.

SALOMON OLEMBE

Ever-present and very experienced central midfielder. Olembe helped Nantes to win the French title last year but has not come close to recapturing his best form in a patchy season this term. Links play very well.

JOEL EPALLE

Graduated from the Olympic winning side of two years ago, Epalle is a very hard worker who fetches the ball for others and makes important tackles in midfield to help the team and has a reasonable shot.

STRIKERS

SAMUEL ETO'O

A star for Mallorca and watched intently by Rangers and Tottenham to name just two clubs recently. Very fast and on the verge of a big transfer if he can live up to expectations at the finals. Former Madrid player who was allowed to leave on loan to Mallorca and then stayed.

PATRICK MBOMA

He used to play in the J-League in Japan with Gamba Osaka. Mboma was a regular in the Paris St. Germain side of the early '90s where he proved good finisher who can also hold the ball up well for his teammates and he is a strong runner with the ball. A former African player of the year and the first choice striker with most of the attacks built around him.

PIUS NDIEFI

A quick substitute who is small but powerfully built. Unlikely to start as his game lacks the force or variety of the of the other players but he can be a good runner.

PATRICK SUFFO

Clumsy striker who can hold up the ball for others and is strong in the air. A line leader who can tug it out with defenders but not very impressive.

JOSEPH-DESIRE JOB

Originally a midfielder who could have played for France. He has not featured much since a move to Middlesbrough where his patchy club form has not detracted from continued success with Cameroon.