Finke wins over critics after hostile start

Cameroon coach Volker Finke has shrugged off being called “incompetent” by Roger Milla to earn the respect of the football legend and the squad he is taking to the World Cup.

Germany-based Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting calls the 66-year-old who took over the ‘Indomitable Lions’ last year an “amazing coach”. Mohammadou Idrissou, another Bundesliga striker, praises Finke for being “tactically adaptable, a great motivator and disciplinarian.”

“He emphasises pressing high up the field and the need for constant movement,” says Joel Matip, another Cameroonian playing top-flight football in Germany. The warm comments contrast starkly with those made when Finke was placed in charge.

Milla, famous for abandoning semi-retirement at the age of 38 to score four goals at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, dislikes foreigners coaching Cameroon. “Appointing overseas coaches is a waste of precious foreign currency — local coaches should be in charge of the national team.

“Finke is incompetent,” added Milla when Finke became the fourth German coach of the central African country.

Milla later changed his view of the man who guided Freiburg for 16 consecutive seasons, a remarkable feat in the cut-throat world of European football management. The Milla u-turn came as Cameroon crushed Tunisia 4-1 in a play-off to clinch an African record seventh World Cup appearance.

It was an impressive end to an eight-game qualifying campaign in which Cameroon often battled and gained from a huge stroke of luck.

A 2-0 defeat in Togo — the competitive debut of Finke — was changed to a three-goal victory for the ‘Lions’ because the winners fielded an ineligible player. Cameroon are in Group A at the World Cup with Brazil, Croatia and Mexico and Finke relishes the prospect of tackling the hosts despite it being the most difficult match.

“Playing Brazil in Brazil represents the chance of a lifetime,” he told reporters at a pre-tournament coaches’ gathering. “Brazil is the home of football and competing there will be tremendous fun.

“I will not need to motivate my players — playing Brazil must be a career highlight for them all.”

Finke accepted the hosts are overwhelming group favourites, leaving the other three teams to fight for the second knockout ticket. “We have to pick up sufficient points against Mexico and Croatia to ensure qualification before playing Brazil,” he said.

The German also admitted he was surprised to get the Cameroon job, believing a French coach would be chosen.

Of the six Cameroon World Cup coaches, Jean Vincent (1982), Henri Michel (1994), Claude le Roy (1998) and Paul le Guen (2010) were French.

Turkmen Valeri Nepomniachi guided the 1990 ‘Lions’ to the quarter-finals, the only time the country progressed past the first round.

Winfried Schafer (2002) was the first German to lead Cameroon at the World Cup, a few months after masterminding their fourth and last Africa Cup of Nations triumph. Following a low-level playing career, Finke guided Freiburg from 1991 to 2007 and his only other foreign post was at Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds.