Le Roy facing old friends
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ByEurosport
Published 29/01/2006 at 16:25 GMT
DR Congo boss Claude LeRoy has admitted that it will be emotional facing his former employers Cameroon with a place in the African Nations quarter finals at stake. LeRoy has taken the Indomitable Lions to two African Nations Cups and a World Cup.
FOOTBALL 2006 Egypt 2006 Cameroon Cameroon-Angola Geremi
Image credit: Imago
DR Congo only need a point to progress to the knockout phase but could go out on goal difference if they lose heavily to Cameroon and Angola beat Togo by a high margin.
"We will try our best at least to draw the game but to be honest we are not ready to play for a draw. At a tactical level, we can't really endure a defensive siege for 90 minutes, so we'll be out to play our normal game," LeRoy said.
"(Samuel) Eto'o calls me his father but sometimes a son wants to kill his father, so I have to take care.
"Eto'o is very difficult to play against and I know he wants to be the top scorer at the tournament but we'll see what we can do to stop him."
"They are always saying that they owe me a lot but I am the one who owes them a lot. For the last 20 years I have spoken to my former players on the phone almost every week. It was a superb experience to be coach of Cameroon.
"Of the current Cameroon team, at least six of them were with me at the World Cup in France in 98. They were very young then.
"Eto'o, for example, was one of the youngest players in the history of the World Cup and he played in that tournament. People said when I selected him that I was stupid to take such a young player (to the World Cup) but I think it did him no harm," he said.
IRRESISTABLE CAMEROON
Cameroon are through and will not mind first or second place, with a tough match against Ivory Coasts hosts Egypt the most probable opponent for either of the group B qualifiers.
Defender Raymond Kalla has flown to France for treatment on a minor injury and should return in time for the quarter finals, but otherwise Cameroon could be at full strength but may rest key stars.
Coach Artur Jorge, however, insisted that they "are taking our match against DR Congo seriously and we'll try to win.
"I don't have any team that I prefer to meet in the quarter-final. We'll take on any team that comes our way."
Geremi is concerned that "they can be our own worst enemy. What is important is not to be too over confident after the first two matches, not to go over the top with self-congratulation, because there is still a long way to go.
"We were a bit nervous before the Angola clash", the Chelsea nmidfielder admitted However once we were on the pitch we relaxed then once we scored we relaxed even more.
"However, we have won nothing yet and we must continue to play in the same manner."
Video: Lions through
DR Congo v Cameroon is live on eurosport.com/uk on Sunday 29th January from 18:00cet!
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