The entry into the running of the Swiss team in Qatar is Thursday at 11:00 am (Swiss time) against Cameroon, an opponent that our national team has never faced before. The opportunity for RTS sport to discuss with the Vaudois technician Raoul Savoy, who worked in Yaoundé and knows African formations perfectly.
Today coach of the Central African Republic, Raoul Savoy (49) recently hit Ghana (1-1) and did not particularly appreciate the performance of Switzerland against the “Black Stars”, last Thursday during his unique preparation match for this 2022 World Cup. Before the match against Cameroon, he who has worked for 20 years with the former “Indomitable Lion” Hans Agbo is well placed to give his opinion.
RTSsport.ch: Raoul Savoy, Switzerland-Cameroon it’s Thursday. What will Murat Yakin’s side have to do to bag the three points?
RAOUL SAVOY: Switzerland will of course have to respect the Cameroon team for what it is, but no more. On Thursday, we will have to show a completely different state of mind than the one we saw against Ghana. On the pitch, the Helvetians will have no reason to watch their opponents. I even believe that they will have to get into the fat very quickly and, if possible, quickly find the fault. You absolutely mustn’t let this team play, don’t let it gain confidence, otherwise you’ll be exposed to the tide. Opposite, it will not be the Togo of 2006.
We absolutely must not let this Cameroonian team play, do not let them gain confidence, under penalty of exposing themselves to the tide.
RTSsport.ch: It will also have to be not Switzerland last Thursday against Ghana…
RAOUL SAVOY: It’s clear! I was furious after this encounter. Yes, it was a logical choice to face Ghana to prepare for the match against Cameroon. Still it would have been necessary to put motivation, involvement! I didn’t like the mentality displayed by the Swiss. I don’t see the point of playing this match if no one is going to the duel, if everyone is afraid of getting hurt… Such a match must be the one that validates the automatisms, which makes it possible to take care of the exits from the zone, the ascents of balloon, etc.; in short, to gain confidence. I did not understand the overall attitude of our national team!
RTSsport.ch: You who have often seen play and who have even faced Cameroon, what can you tell us?
RAOUL SAVOY: Today’s Cameroon is something of a wounded beast. Its players want to prove that they can do something in this competition. They have qualities and they are hungry. But it is also a formation that has weaknesses, especially on the sides, with laterals and pistons that are not always reliable. I just hope the Swiss are well informed.
This selection also has weaknesses, especially on the sides, with laterals and pistons that are not always reliable.
![Raoul Savoy, Central African Republic coach [SRI]](https://www.rts.ch/2022/11/23/09/57/13567810.image?w=320&h=320)
RTSsport.ch: Defensively, this Cameroon does not look the strongest either…
RAOUL SAVOY: It’s an old European refrain to believe that Cameroonians are not good defensively! I now see this selection as quite solid in this area and above all carried by a great goalkeeper (note: André Onana, Inter Milan, ex-Ajax). But it’s also true that this is a team that will always prefer to win 4-3 than 1-0 and, therefore, will be likely to find themselves quite a bit. Still, it is generally very interesting and has good offensive assets. To which the Swiss will not have to leave the slightest meter!
RTSsport.ch: Should we be more wary of Vincent Aboubakar (Al-Nassr, ex-Porto, ex-Besiktas) than Eric Choupo-Moting (Bayern Munich)?
RAOUL SAVOY: Clearly from the first quoted! He is the biggest danger. Aboubakar is also often good in major events and he approaches this World Cup with a knife between his teeth. He is a vengeful player, who has it across his throat that he has never really been considered at his fair value by the big European clubs. Today he intends to show them that they were wrong. I find him much more threatening than Choupo-Moting, who is more used to hit-and-miss goals. But it is true that the latter is full of confidence and could very well put his head somewhere and find the fault.
Vincent Aboubakar is a vengeful player, who has it across his throat that he has never really been considered at his fair value by the big European clubs. He intends today to show them that they were wrong
RTSsport.ch: In Cameroon, the discourse has changed since the arrival of former star Samuel Eto’o as President of the Federation. Can this directly influence what happens on the ground?
RAOUL SAVOY: Well, let’s at least say that behind the scenes it did change some things. Cameroon had a bit of this “tradition” of landing in the World Cup with a lot of tension, especially between the players and the Federation. We remember in particular that in 2014, the team arrived late because it wanted to solve its bonus problems. This time, Samuel Eto’o, for having been a player and having experienced these situations, very quickly put things straight to avoid this kind of inconvenience. Then, we must recognize that in terms of mentality, Cameroon has changed quite a bit today. His speech is less complex, more “going to war”. Eto’o is also the first to say loud and clear that the Lions want to win the World Cup, that his team is not afraid of anyone. This Cameroon of 2022 appears more sure of itself, at least in speech. After that, it remains to be seen if it will pay off…
RTSsport.ch: Especially since all is not very serene around this team…
RAOUL SAVOY: Indeed! There are some tensions in the country, knowing that a lot of people do not really adhere to the method and / or the Samuel Eto’o character. What’s more, the last friendly matches have not convinced and some choices of coach Rigobert Song have surprised. For example, it took a lot of popular and media pressure for Zambo Anguissa, who was excellent with Naples, to be called up for this World Cup. And this while other players, who clearly deserved to be there, were not taken…
RTSsport.ch: We also saw these videos of Rigobert Song, yet a coach, unable to correctly give the names of the players he selected…
RAOUL SAVOY: Yes, I have seen these videos. These are not the only ones circulating and on which he looks “lost”. Some say he is just a puppet of Samuel Eto’o. But let’s pay attention to these “hear-says”, because his team is well organized and highly motivated.
RTSsport.ch: On the Swiss side, this match will be special for Breel Embolo, who was born in Cameroon and still has family there…
RAOUL SAVOY: Yes, it will be very complicated for him to tackle. It’s happened to other players in the past and some have handled it better than others. But very honestly, I think it will be very, very hard for Embolo, who does not seem to have the mentality of a Xherdan Shaqiri or a Granit Xhaka, who for example knew how to ignore an electric context very well. there are four and a half against Serbia. I don’t know Breel well enough, but I have the feeling that this match will be a kind of “overflow” of emotions for him and that he will surely try to do too much. That’s why, instead of Yakin, I would field Okafor.
RTSsport.ch: Finally, a little prognosis?
RAOUL SAVOY: I would say 1-1. But a far-fetched 1-1, not a 1-1 where the Swiss could have won 4-1.
Arnaud Cerutti – @arnaud_cerutti