Tunisia 0 Cameroon 0: Impressive Itandje Foils Carthage Eagles’ Plans in Rades.

In-form Cameroon goalkeeper Charles Itandje foiled a host of chances as Tunisia and Cameroon played a scoreless draw in Rades on Sunday.

Cameroon could have scored what was the best opportunity of the match, only for Pierre Webo to choose to chest the ball with the goal at his mercy just five yards out.

The referee and the Cameroonians failed to spot what looked like a late penalty when Sameh Derbaly handled the ball in the area, but a goalless first-leg draw means both teams will have it all to play for when they meet in the West African nation next month.

Ruud Krol’s men got off to a better start, getting the first sight at goal inside ten minutes when keeper Itandje was called into action by Yassine Chikhaoui.

Itandje then did an even better job five minutes later, tipping over a long-range effort from Wissem Ben Yahia that was heading into the top corner.

© Getty Images. Cameroon's Itandje Standing Between Tunisia and Goal in Their 2014 World Cup African Playoff in Rades.
© Getty Images. Cameroon’s Itandje Standing Between Tunisia and Goal in Their 2014 World Cup African Playoff in Rades.

The hosts kept up the pressure in the Cameroon goal area and the goalkeeper was lucky to have had a firm Chikhaoui close-range header right at him.

With the first-half drawing to a close the ‘Idomitable Lions’ then managed to scare the full capacity crowd gathered at the Stade Olympique when midfielder Jean Makoun failed to score from a Samuel EtoÓ’s cutback, dragging his effort wide.

© Getty Images. Cameroon is the Most Frequent African Nation at the World Cup With Six Appearances.
© Getty Images. Cameroon is the Most Frequent African Nation at the World Cup With Six Appearances.

In the 55th minute, substitute Fakhreddine Ben Youssef missed arguably the hosts’ best chance of the game, after charging into the area to meet a fine cross and headed back across goal but just wide.

The ‘Carthage Eagles’ soon fluffed another goalscoring chance when defender Alaeddine Yahia met a corner only to direct a powerful header straight at the goalkeeper.

Then came the most glaring opportunity for Volker Finke’s boys to steal victory as striker Webo had the whole goal to aim at after Tunisia goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia inadvertently palmed Enoh Eyong’s cross into his path, but the chose to chest the ball rather than stoop to head it and the effort trickled wide.

Derbaly then handled the ball in the area before the match ended.

Tunisia will have to sit up and figure out a better tactic to break the deadlock when they travel to Yaoundé on November 17, as Cameroon will be glad to have not conceded.

The visitors should be the happier of both teams but the contest is far from over as a score draw in the return-leg will break their back.