Dutch prepare for second round

Netherlands coach Bert Van Marwijk says his in-form team has room to improve when they meet a Cameroon side playing to salvage their pride today.

The fortunes of the two World Cup Group E sides could not be more stark - the Dutch have already qualified for the round-of-16 while the Africans have been knocked out.

Despite being safely into the knockout round, Ven Marwijk is not planning to take Cameroon lightly. “I do take the match against Cameroon very seriously because it is in that match that the team has to show that they have learned. We want to improve in every match,” he said

The coach is hoping to see the influential Arjen Robben back in action, although his appearance today is still not certain.

Robben, the Bundesliga player of the season and instrumental in Bayern Munich reaching the Champions League final, has played no role so far after suffering a hamstring injury in a warm-up victory over Hungary.

Cameroon have confidence issues to deal with, having become the first team eliminated from the tournament after losing 2-1 to Denmark and 1-0 to Japan. Samuel Eto’o, the team’s captain and a three-time African player of the year, said they must lift their spirits and play for pride.

“I want to finish with dignity in the last game,” said Eto’o. “That is very important. We need to go out with some pride, above all for the people back home, though it won’t be easy.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2010.