Cameroon will be under intense pressure to win next year’s African Nations Cup, according to defender Timothe Atouba.
Atouba told BBC Sport that the Indomitable Lions will go to Egypt 2006 hoping to atone for their failure to qualify for the World Cup.
« Our people were disappointed by our failure to get the World Cup ticket, » Atouba said from his base in Hamburg.
« The only gift we can give them is the Nations Cup, so we have more pressure than any other team in the tournament. »
Cameroon, who travel to Egypt on 7 January in search of their fifth Nations Cup title, start their preparations in Spain on 28 December when they face a Basque Select side in Spain.
The 23-year-old defender is in coach Artur Jorge’s provisional 30-man squad announced last month.
Meanwhile, Atouba has criticised his former English Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur for not doing « enough » to enable him to settle in England.
Atouba moved to Bundesliga outfit Hamburg at the beginning of the season after spending less than a year at Spurs.
« While I was at Tottenham I stayed in a hotel for six months, and the officials did not help me to secure accommodation.
« I was left on my own and I wasn’t at all happy. The players were good and so was the manager but not the administrative staff.
« When you have new players you have to help make them happy and feel good but they did not do that for me, » said Atouba, who made just 18 appearances for the North London club.
Tope Agboola
