The final of the 2002 Nations Cup promises to be one of the most absorbing encounters for years, if only because the Cameroonian champions come face to face with their past selves in Senegal.

Cameroon coach Winifred Schafer

Cameroon coach Winifred Schafer already feels his team have overcome so much just getting to the final. "Cameroon teams have never done well at a Nations Cup in World Cup year. It is also an extremely hard trophy to defend," he told African Sport.

Only three teams have reached a final as defending champions since Ghana retained the Nations Cup back in 1965. The Ghanaian Black Stars themselves reached the final again in 1968 where they lost by a solitary goal to Ethiopia. In 1986 Roger Milla's Cameroon lost to Egypt on penalties and in 1998 South Africa were well beaten by Egypt.

Cameroon have managed to play better as a team than most

So far Schafer's team have set about their defence the right way. With nine goals they are the top scorers in the tournament and so far they have not conceded a single goal. Schafer and his captain Rigobert Song break into broad smiles and echo quiet satisfaction at the reliability of the defence. So far the title has never been won without conceding a goal.

The defensive record is symbolic of the changes rung by Schafer. The personnel remain the same, but wrapped in a Teutonic shroud of efficiency. The happy-go-lucky image of Milla and the 1990 World Cup team has at last been removed and in it's place is a squad that has come to Mali for one reason and nothing will get in the way of fulfilling that objective.

That's the reason why Schafer shunned the offered accommodation in a top Bamako hotel where Nigeria also stayed for the more spartan, but isolated half-built CAN village.

It is also hard to see Cameroon being distracted by the incident where
assistant coach Nkono was assaulted on Thursday by police and has now been banned quite ridiculously by CAF for a year. There is still a chance that Schafer also will receive some form of censure. Their crime? Watching the first semi-final on the giant monitor at 26 March Stadium. Even the President of Mali has apologized for the zealous behaviour of the police.

In contrast there is a flamboyance about Senegal. From their coach Bruno Metsu to the dyed blonde hair of El Hadji Diouf. Metsu's Senegal can wreak havoc if things go their way, but can look ordinary on other occasions. They have the same tough tackling that has characterised Cameroonian teams over the years, particularly in the form of teak-hard defender Ferdinand Coly. So far they have only conceded the one goal in the finals.

The flamboyant Senegalese team

They are also supremely athletic, a factor which helped them overcome the sending off of Pape Sarr in the first-half of their semi-final against
Nigeria. Metsu is likely to compensate for the loss of Sarr by drafting in
Sylvain Ndiaye to play alongside Alassane Diao with Khalil Fadiga and Lamine Diatta on the flanks. It will also not be a surprise to see the midfield flooded in the same way as the semi-final to counter one of Cameroon's strengths.

The front two of Diouf and Camara pick themselves. Lets hope Diouf gets on with the game and cuts out the histrionics.

The first final between two French speaking countries could go either way, but should be a cracking game.