Alex Song is long gone and forgotten as CMR build for the future

Cameroon's 4-0 defeat by Croatia at the World Cup this past summer was depressing for many reasons. Aside from the unfavourable scoreline and dreadful performance, it was a match that basically summed up Cameroon's tournament.

Following dysfunctional tactics, bickering teammates and Alex Song's ludicrous sending off for a needless elbow, a team that had been on the slide for a number of years finally stopped sliding. They hit rock-bottom. But rather than call it a one-off, a freak performance that will not happen again, this game was the turning point for one man.

Heading back to Cameroon with head in hand, the reputation of the Indomitable Lions was in tatters. The country that had ignited the hopes of a continent 24 years earlier at Italia '90 had since become a shell of what it once stood for. Not only did it hurt to look back, but there also appeared to be little light looking forward. There was no apparent sign of how manager Volker Finke could make things better, if he even managed to hold on to his post.

Fast-forward six months, and it is a vastly different picture, with the African Nations Cup 2015 in Equatorial Guinea just around the corner.

They stormed their way through a tough qualifying group by scoring nine and conceding just one along the way. No longer tinged with doom, the Cameroon national team now has a healthy glow to it, and the path ahead is now gently illuminated by a subtle confidence and team spirit, largely thanks to a considerable personnel overhaul by the management.

Although much has been made of the ousting of Samuel Eto'o from the squad, it is much more widespread than this, with only 11 of the 23 players who went to the World Cup in Brazil included in the squad for AFCON 2015.

Song, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Jean Makoun and Joel Matip are all on the list of names that missed out as indiscipline, age and lack of interest in representing their country conspired to permit a flow of new faces into the set.

Indeed, Song is probably the most intriguing name to miss out. Despite the magnificent form he has been showing for West Ham this season, he hasn't played since that bizarre incident when he crashed his elbow into the back of Mario Mandzukic in Manaus.

Finke had no real reason to bring him back into the fold and Song promptly retired from international football to focus on life at West Ham. As well as not changing a winning formula, it would have been unfair to those who have performed wonderfully in qualifying. Regardless, defensive midfield is not exactly a position where Cameroon struggle for personnel.

Taking a look at the new crop, Barcelona's 19-year-old goalkeeper, Fabrice Ondoa, has made the No.1 shirt his own by ousting a slightly unfortunate Charles Itandje, who always performed admirably for his country. Jerome Guihota of Valenciennes now accompanies Nicholas N'Koulou in the centre of defence, with New York Red Bulls' left-back Ambroise Oyongo flanking the two of them. Georges Mandjeck, who plays his football in Turkey, has been nominated as Song's replacement, while young Lyon forward Clinton N'Jie has been the revelation of this whole process.

Despite finding it tough going domestically, with only one goal in 18 this season, N'Jie has adapted to international football with no problem. Three goals in his first six games mean he was the second highest scorer on the team, behind Vincent Aboubakar during qualifying, and should be set for a similarly important role in Equatorial Guinea.

The new regime has also brought the best out of the survivors from Brazil, given new responsibility in the absence of Eto'o. Stephane Mbia has thrived under the pressure of the captaincy, despite flitting between right-back and defensive midfield, while Eric Choupo-Moting and Vincent Aboubakar have taken the roles of vice captain. The removal of the corrosive, ball-demanding ego that was Eto'o has given a freedom to this team, with the result that this has yielded being clear for all to see.

Considering their tough group in Equatorial Guinea -- sitting alongside Ivory Coast, Mali and Guinea -- it would be quite a feat if they reached the final. As well as these three, their quarterfinal game will be against one of the teams from the Group of Death in Group C, who will present a colossal challenge, no matter who makes it out.

Nevertheless, AFCON 2015 is a time of great opportunity for Cameroon. They have a young, positive side with a manager who appears to know what he's doing. Watching the Indomitable Lions is suddenly a far more appealing prospect than it was in June. Lifting the cup for the first time since 2002 might be slightly out of reach, but run to the semifinals would represent an achievement for Cameroon after several years of hardship. They have the blueprint in place for future success.