Former Cameroon defender Aurelien Chedjou has cited fighting spirit and strength as the secret to the Indomitable Lions’ progress at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Central African giants were on the verge of a group stage exit after claiming just one point in their first two games. They however put up a spirited performance in their final Group C game against the Gambia to win 3-2 and finish in second place, tied on points with third-placed Guinea.
“It was our fighting spiring and strength of the team that saw us through. More importantly, it was above the pride of Cameroon that took over when we said to ourselves that we cannot go back home like this,” Chedjou told the CAF website.
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The Indomitable Lions reach the #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 round of 16! ???????? @FecafootOfficie pic.twitter.com/mcQY2iK4OE
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 23, 2024
Cameroon will get to face fierce rivals Nigeria in the Round of 16 on Saturday and Chedjou wants his teammates to impose their authority on the opposition.
“They should play their game and impose it on the opponent. I prefer that they be instigators than wait to be led to react. We will have to enter the match by imposing what we want on the opponent before waiting to be pushed or led to react,” he continued.
Chedjou went on state his regret on not being part of the team that lifted a fifth AFCON title in 2017 when Cameroon defeated Egypt in Gabon despite featuring during the qualifiers.
“It’s one of the regrets I have. It remains a thorny issue in my career. I had played almost all the qualifying matches, unfortunately, in the end, I was not selected. But those who were there made us happy, I’m happy for them”, he explained.
Chedjou earned 49 caps for Cameroon between 2009 and 2016. He played for nine clubs but spent the most time at French outfit Lille (six years) and Turkish giants Galatasaray (four years).
