Cameroon began life under latest coach Volker Finke with a 0-0 friendly match draw in the Ukraine at the weekend.
It was a satisfactory result for the 65-year-old German with no experience of African football as he was forced to field a depleted team.
Club commitments kept striker and record four-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto’o and midfielder Alex Song away from Kiev.
Cameroon had the better of the first half exchanges against the Euro 2012 co-hosts, but were forced to defend during the closing stages.
Striker Vincent Aboubakar squandered the best chance for the Indomitable Lions midway through the opening half.
The France-based Cameroonian came off second best against goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov in a one-on-one showdown.
Finke succeeded caretaker Jean-Paul Akono only last week after being considered an outsider for the prestigious post.
Raymond Domenech and Sven-Goran Eriksson, who coached France and Ivory Coast at the 2010 World Cup, had been linked with the job.
Akono was negotiating to become the full-time national coach when he heard on a radio news bulletin that a European would take his place.
Finke was chosen amid criticism from Cameroon 1990 World Cup star Roger Milla, who said using a foreigner was “a waste of precious money”.
The ‘Indomitable Lions’ are trying to become an African force again after three years of underachievement.
They were the first team eliminated from the 2010 World Cup and failed to qualify for the 2012 and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
But a home win over Togo three months ago took them to the top of a World Cup qualifying group, one point ahead of Libya.
They face Togo again on June 9 in Lome and the Democratic Republic of Congo on June 16 in Kinshasa.
Victories in those games would leave the Lions needing a draw at home to Libya during September to reach the final qualifying round.
Cameroon were among 10 African national teams in action at the weekend, preparing for World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria, who face Kenya in Nairobi Wednesday, trailed and led before drawing 2-2 with 10-man Mexico in Texan city Houston.
Ideye Brown and John Ogu scored for the ‘Super Eagles’ and Manchester United goal poacher Javier Hernandez bagged a Mexican brace.
The central Americans had Pablo Barreras red carded on 27 minutes for hand ball and Brown levelled from the resulting penalty.
New Uganda coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic had a debut to forget as three first-half goals earned Libya a 3-0 victory in Tripoli.
Mahamed Al-Gnadoudi, Salem Ablou and Faisal Al-Badri were on target for the ‘Mediterranean Knights’, who host DR Congo Friday.
Uganda, with just two points from three World Cup outings, host Liberia and Angola on successive weekends.
Midfielder Tlou Segolela took advantage of a rare start to score his first international goals as South Africa won 2-0 in neighbouring Lesotho.
Bafana Bafana (The Boys) should have scored more goals before Lesotho struck the woodwork twice in a late rally at cold, windy Maseru.
Goals from El Arbi Hilal Soudani and Islam Slimani gave Algeria a 2-0 win over 2013 Cup of Nations runners-up Burkina Faso in Blida.
Sudan, who host Ghana Friday, continue to struggle, drawing 0-0 with Tanzania in Addis Ababa, where they lost to Ethiopia a week before.
Cameroon coach starts with draw in Ukraine
