Cameroon hold Italy in goalless draw

African giants Cameroon held world champions Italy to a 0-0 draw in a dull World Cup finals warm-up international in Monaco on Wednesday.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi said that despite the 0-0 scoreline he had found the match a useful exercise.

“That was a very useful match, I had the chance to have a look at many players for the first time, even those who had already been in the squad before (when Lippi wasn’t coach)” he said.

Lippi used this fixture to have a look at new players and he picked an experimental line-up with a mix of regular first teamers such as captain Fabio Cannavaro and midfielder Andrea Pirlo while giving debuts to Cagliari midfielder Andrea Cossu and Bari right-back Leonardo Bonucci.

The unfamiliar nature of the Italy team possibly contributed to a first half which saw barely a chance created by either side.

Italy were marginally the more potent, although that speaks volumes about the lack of threat from Cameroon.

The world champions did have the ball in the net on 13 minutes but it was rightly ruled out for offside.

Cameroon goalkeeper Souleymanou Hamidou came for a corner but made an absolute hash of his attempt, yet inadvertently his actions saved his team from conceding as when Daniele De Rossi helped the ball forward, there was only one defender between Giorgio Chiellini and the goal.

There was the usual flood of half-time changes and one of the Italy substitutes, Juventus’s Claudio Marchisio, fashioned a chance for Antonio Di Natale, whose volley was deflected over.

With 16 minutes left Italy came close again but Hamidou did well to come out and smother Bonucci’s close range effort from Chiellini’s flick.

But Cameroon then had the best chance of the game as Pierre Webo was played in behind the Italy backline only for his first touch to be poor and allow Federico Marchetti to come out and smother on the edge of the box.