The Curse of Cameroon on penalties

Last update 19 September, 2024 by Alberto Llopis

Cameroon's curse on penalties is already a classic. The selection of ‘Los Leones’, is known for his achievements in African football, He has lived some of the most tragic moments and remembered by his fans due to the inability to capitalize on situations of maximum penalty. Two episodes, separated for just six years, They marked a before and after in the history of the “Indomitable lions”, When failures from eleven meters they left the selection out of crucial international competitions.

“The Curse of Cameroon on penalties”

The penalty of Samuel Eto’o in the Africa Cup 2012

In October 2011, Samuel Eto'o, one of the most iconic figures of African football, He had the opportunity to classify Cameroon to the final phase of the African Cup of Nations 2012. Cameroon faced Senegal in a crucial match, And in the last moments, The Cameroonian team obtained a penalty that could have sealed their classification. With the game tied 0-0, Everything depended on the Cameroon star striker.

However, Eto'o, in a moment of maximum tension, sent the ball to the stick, Beloming Cameroon's hopes to participate in the final phase of the Africa Cup. This failure was devastating not only for the team, but also for the fans, that trusted its greatest reference. Elimination was seen as a great disappointment, since Camerún had been considered one of the favorites to classify.

Pierre Wome and the failed penalty for the World Cup 2006

Eto’o error in 2011 He remembered the Cameroonses another fateful moment in their recent history. In 2005, Cameroon was just one step away from the World Cup in Germany 2006. In a crucial classification match against Egypt, The Cameroonian team obtained a penalty in the last minutes. Pierre Wome, a defender recognized for his ability in penalty shots, He assumed responsibility.

Like Eto’o, Wome failed. His shot also went to post, and with it, Cameroon's hopes to participate in the World Cup vanished. This ruling generated a huge controversy in the country, With the fans and the media hard criticizing the player. You dry, affected by pressure and popular discontent, revealed in later interviews that even received death threats after the incident.

Two episodes, The same tragedy

What unites both moments, Beyond the misfortune of failures, It is the painful feeling that Camerún was so close to achieving important objectives, Just to see them fading for such small details. In both cases, penalties not only represented lost opportunities, but left an indelible brand in the history of Cameroonian football.

The figure of Samuel Eto’o, Despite being one of the best African players in history and its success in European clubs, It will always be linked to that failed penalty that eliminated Cameroon from the Africa Cup. In the same way, Pierre Wome will be in the collective memory of fans for their ruling in 2005, that cost Cameroon his participation in the World Cup 2006.

THE CURSE OF THE PENALITIS: A coincidence or something else?

The repetition of these episodes has led many to talk about a “curse” In penalties for Cameroon. Although it can simply be unfortunate coincidences, The pressure and expectations about players at this critical moments seem to have weighed more than expected. The truth is that these failures have left a deep mark on Cameroonian football, And every time the selection faces a crucial penalty, Eto’o and Wome's memories resurface.