Cameroon manager Winfried Schafer has said he will field an experimental side in Wednesday’s friendly against Austria in Vienna’s Ernst-Happel stadium.
« I have already chosen most of the players for the World Cup but now it is time to look for alternatives and see how some other players will fit in, » he said.
Cameroon, who face a World Cup group that includes Germany, Ireland and Saudi Arabia, will definitely be without defender Raymond Kalla and midfielder Jean Dika-Dika through injury while striker Patrick Mboma is struggling with a hamstring strain.
Utility man Lauren is also doubtful and Shafer is set to draft in Strasbourg’s Pierre Njanka, Joseph-Desire Job of Metz, Spartak Moscow’s Jerry-Christian Tchuisse and Francis Kioyo who plays for German second-division outfit Greuther Furth.
Meanwhile, Austria manager Hans Krankl, keen to build on his side’s recent win against Slovakia, has warned his players that they face a tough test against the African champions.
« If we let them play they will cause all sorts of problems for us, » he said.
« They are great athletes, technically gifted, pacy and they know all the tricks. They have always had tactical discipline but they seem to have improved since Schafer took charge and they are better than four years ago. »
Krankl will build his team around the midfield pairing of Ivica Vastic and Andreas Herzog, who is set to equal the all-time appearance record for Austria by claiming his 95th cap.
Austria (probable): Manninger, Baur, Feldhofer, Dospel, Herzog, Kitzbichler, Weissenberger, Panis, Vastic, Wallner, Mayrleb
Cameroon (probable): Song’o, Geremi, Song, Mettomo, Wome, Olembe, Foe, Job, Njanka, Kioyo, Tchuisse.
