Moukandjo optimistic as lions battle Chile in Confederation Cup

African champions Cameroon are hoping to post another impressive run at the Confederation Cup in Russia and will put in 100% effort in the in the 8-team showpiece.
Indomitable Lions’Benjamin Moukandjo who gave the hint ahead of their opening match against Chile on Sunday is optimistic that the good fortune achieved by the side in Gabon can be replicated in Russia the challenged posed by tough teams in contention notwithstanding.
Moukandjo insists Cameroon’s team spirit will be key for his side as they prepare to launch their Confederations Cup Group B campaign against Chile.
The South Americans are appearing at the tournament for the first time against a youthful Cameroon side and must do without goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who has been ruled out by a calf injury so Johnny Herrera will line up again in goal.
But Moukandjo believes the togetherness of Cameroon will hold them in good stead and told FIFA’s official website: “When it’s just us, we tell jokes and make fun of each other, but once we’re out on the training pitch, everything gets serious again – we know when we need to get down to work.
“Over time, and especially during the Cup of Nations campaign, we all became firm friends. We headed off to the tournament as a team, but while we were there we became a family.
“We knew that we had to create a real team spirit so that we could compete with nations with talented individuals, because we don’t have any real stars in the team.”
Moukandjo who plies his trade wih French League one side Lorient made his debut for the Cameroon national football team, starting in a 0–0 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification draw against Senegal.
He netted his first international goal on 16 June of the following year, the winner against Guinea-Bissau.
Moukandjo was selected in Cameroon’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and started in all three group matches, against Mexico, Croatia and Brazil respectively.
At the 2015 African Cup of Nations, he scored Cameroon’s goal in a 1–1 draw with Guinea at the group stage.
Two years later, he was named Man of the Match in the final as Cameroon won the Africa Cup of Nations for the fifth time.

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