A dejected Samuel Et'o walks off the pitch after Cameroon's 2-1 loss to Denmark. The Lions were expected to sail through Group E and became the first team to be eliminated from World Cup 2010.
Et'o is comforted by Denmark's Simon Poulsen. The most dramatic photos show Cameroon's striker Vincent Aboubakar crying after Denmark won ...
More highlights and many more photos AFTER THE JUMP ...
Africa's first World Cup is not faring so well for the African teams. The New York Times: "Cameroon and Nigeria have both lost their first two games, and South Africa has only a single point. ... Ghana still has a fighting chance to move on to the elimination rounds."
And: The continent's second football powerhouse, the Ivory Coast, lost as expected to global football powerhouse Brazil. The score was 3-1.
Cameroon is Africa's modern World Cup trailblazer. The team qualified for their first finals in Spain in 1982 and reached the quarters in 1990. But it was just not meant to be Saturday night at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, reports the Hindustan Times. "Despite taking the lead through skipper and three-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto'o with a coolly taken goal after 10 minutes, Cameroon failed to capitalise on any of the dozen chances they created." Denmark waited and regrouped to win, 2-1.
And here are Stephane Mbia (19) and Geremi (8) ...
Cameroon's Achille Emana (10) and his teammate Benoit Assou-Ekotto.
On June 24, Cameroon will play Holland.
it's now down to Ghana
Posted by: tony | 20 June 2010 at 20:06
Sports photography is always so dramatic. They capture so much emotion.
Sad to see Cameroon didn't make it. Thought they or Cote D'Ivorie would make at least the quarters semis.
It's all on Ghana now.
Posted by: Webb | 20 June 2010 at 20:16
Oh and Rod thanks for all the love and coverage of all things African, good and bad!
Posted by: Webb | 20 June 2010 at 20:17
My first reaction is that crying seems extreme when it’s just over a game.
But then again, if you come from a country that has been kept down by the same corrupt dictator for more than 27 straight years, you might invest a lot of emotion and pride in your nation’s soccer team, too.
In the U.S., where the full extent of our corruption hasn’t quite sunk in yet, men don’t cry. They just get drunk and yell at the Super Bowl.
Posted by: Jim | 20 June 2010 at 20:59
To Jim
If you ever watch football or basketball at the college level you will often see guys cry when they loose a big game. You may also see Pro athletes cry if they loose the super bowl also. Sports is the only time that a man can cry without questions.
I have to say that I would love to help make the team feel better....They were looking hot in those fitted uniforms. I needed to go meet my family to celebrate father's day and I could not leave the house. Between Cameroon and the Ivory Coast, I couldn't leave the TV today.
Posted by: Butchie | 21 June 2010 at 00:28
It's so much more than a sport to these guys. It's really hard for our American population to understand the release, pride and opportunity that sports play in some of these countries.
Posted by: Cocoa Rican | 21 June 2010 at 07:30
I agree with Butchie... Football is a sport where EVERY country competes starting with the preliminaries and ending with the wrold cup. Coupled with th fact that many countries have players who play and STAR ( like ETO above)professionally in the big leagues like Serie A,Premier in England, the german league etc... the world cup represents a time that these players can shine for their home countries. So when they fail it is very painful...
Anyway the Africans ( ALL of them are looking hawt!) and they can cry on my shoulder or just moan while I attend to them LOL
Posted by: nahtans | 21 June 2010 at 08:20
Rod, can we have a discussion about how the Boondocks murdered Tyler Perry on the latest episode? Lol.
Posted by: Osiris | 21 June 2010 at 09:04
@Osiris YES! We HAVE to! lol
Posted by: Nic | 21 June 2010 at 09:48
On a completely superficial note, how hot looking the Ghana team is with all those beautiful dark skin brothas wearing the all white uniorms? Oh my........
Posted by: Dluv | 21 June 2010 at 11:58
Didn't I read in this blog last week that Ghana is the latest African nation to criminalize (attempt to?) homosexuality?
Posted by: Jim J | 21 June 2010 at 12:33
Eto'o is a beautiful man.
And that 9th picture of #15 making that expression while the guy on the left reaches down with his left hand made me smile just a bit....
Posted by: ff | 21 June 2010 at 13:07
@ FF:
Isn't that photo great? I'm going to talk about that tomorrow. -RM
Posted by: Rod Mc | 21 June 2010 at 23:08