Can Cameroun make it without the big boys?
Ahead of Cameroun's 3-1 defeat to Germany in the FIFA Confederations Cup last Sunday, the Indomitable Lions might have taken encouragement from the fact that Germany coach Joachim Low had picked an unfamiliar team from his already experimental squad.
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However, the same observation could have been made about Africa's champions, in that they'd also picked an under-strength XI.
Largely, this was the team that won the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, but an argument could be made that at least a dozen of Cameroun's best players didn't travel to Russia for the Confederations Cup, let alone start against Germany.
Coach Hugo Broos deserves credit for picking Cameroun up following the muddled reign of Volker Finke and the disastrous — if not downright humiliating — showing at the FIFA World Cup in 2014, and he's fulfilled the federation's request to freshen up the squad and introduce some new faces into the setup.
The Afcon success was remarkable, forged on magnificent team spirit and togetherness, yet Cameroon were unconvincing champions, labouring to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over minnows Guinea-Bissau in the group stage.
At the Confed Cup, they were disorganised against Chile in their opener and were lucky to lose 2-0, with keeper Fabrice Ondoa ensuring the score remained respectable.
Against Australia, Cameroun improved, but were let down by some profligate finishing by Vincent Aboubakar.
While they held Germany until early in the second half in Sochi, they were, ultimately, fairly easily swatted away by this makeshift ‘Mannschaft’ side. Broos' Cameroun overachieved when they won the continental crown, but they were ultimately found out in Russia.
With another Afcon, this one on home soil, to come in 2019, the Belgian coach must ask whether he can afford to trust his current setup when there's such a wealth of opportunities elsewhere.
It's only in goal, where ironically, Cameroun boast Africa's brightest young goalkeeper — Andre Onana — and arguably Africa's most consistent stopper in a major European league — Carlos Kameni -- that an argument is hard to make for Broos to consider a reshuffle, with Ondoa one of the team's star men.
Elsewhere, however, there's a strong case to be made that Broos ought to consider a significant reshuffle if Cameroun are to build on their Afcon success, rather than let it stand as an isolated victory.
The failing at the 2014 FIFA World Cup was often attributed to under-performing players and a malignant spirit within the camp, yet there are plenty of examples of teams whose fortunes were turned around by a new manager, a fresh approach, and bright ideas, rather than a wholesale change of personnel.
Perhaps it was the setup, the system, and the mood that needed an overhaul after Brazil, rather than the staff...at least not to this extent.
Over the past decade, if not longer, it's hard to pick out too many African nations who have produced more defensive talent than Cameroun.
Yet they travelled to the Confederation cup with Collins Fai, primarily a right-back, playing on the left, a defensive partnership of Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui and Adolphe Teikeu that clearly lacks mobility against sprightly, intelligent attackers, and Ernest Mabouka, a 29-year-old who was only introduced into the fold earlier this year.
Mabouka, admittedly only in the starting XI due to an injury to Ambroise Oyongo, conceded the decisive penalty in the Australia game due to a wild lunge in the box, and was sent off -- albeit in dubious circumstances -- against Germany.
While his crossing was admirable and often menacing, he appeared out of his depth defensively and it's somewhat remarkable that a country of Cameroun's defensive wealth are relying on the Zilina man in a major tournament.
Moving forward, Broos must make every effort to reintegrate Allan Nyom of West Bromwich Albion back into the team, as well as, notably, centre-back duo Joel Matip and Nicolas Nkoulou.
The two have played together just once - a 1-0 victory over The Gambia in September 2016 -- since the World Cup in 2014, and while each have their own individual reasons for being absent, at 25 and 27 respectively, they still have their peak years of service ahead of them.
Surely being the cornerstone of a team that's set to host the Africa Cup of Nations and enter as champions should be temptation enough for both players to return.
Elsewhere, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's integration into the squad for the Confederations Cup has been one of the few success stories for Cameroun, with the midfielder one of seven players who rejected the Afcon call.
Hopefully, his progress could prompt Maxime Poundje — Bordeaux's former France U-19 left-back - to reconsider his decision to reject a future with Cameroun. The talented 24-year-old could be the long-awaited successor to Henri Bedimo or Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
While Zambo Anguissa and Arnaud Djoum — another Broos recruit — do add some dynamism to the midfield, Cameroun struggled to assert themselves defensively against Chile, and failed to see out the game and take complete control offensively against Australia.
At just under a year younger than Sebastien Siani, Alex Song isn't a ridiculous suggestion, although in truth, his stock has fallen so far and there's so much water under the bridge with the federation, that a return may do more harm than good.
Instead, Broos may look to Ibrahim Amadou of LOSC Lille or Manchester City's Olivier Ntcham as options to bolster the midfield.
Up front, the trio of Benjamin Moukandjo - appearing drained after a testing season — Christian Bassogog, and Aboubakar had their moments in Russia, although Broos' selections betrayed a lack of faith in his backup options of Jacques Zoua, Robert Ndip Tambe, and Karl Toko Ekambi.
This trio have combined for one international goal in over 40 combined appearances for the national side, and a higher quality of reinforcements is surely required.
Expect Broos to reconsider Clinton N'Jie and a recalcitrant Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting over the coming months, while Edgar Salli has surprisingly been given short shrift by the coach, despite being a regular source of goals from the right side.
Broos would surely love Jean-Marie Dongou or Fabrice Olinga to finally come close to realizing their once seemingly untapped potential, but perhaps the most sensible move he could make - with 18 months to go until the Afcon -- is to offer Samuel Eto'o a final international swansong.
The iconic hitman may be 36, but he scored 18 goals in 30 Super Lig games for Antalyaspor this season, contributing six assists, and outscored Aboubakar, who was playing in the same league for a bigger club.
Eto'o is versatile, can link the midfield and the attack, could inspire the team's less experienced players, and has proved himself to be a big-game player.
Roger Milla sets a precedent for Indomitable Lions frontmen enjoying unforgettable Indian summers to their careers, and it's not unfeasible that Eto'o could be tempted back by the prospect of one final cycle and an Afcon au revoir on home soil.
