World Cup 2014: Cameroon – the secrets behind the players

This article is part of the Guardian's World Cup 2014 Experts' Network, a co-operation between 32 of the best media organisations from the countries who have qualified for the finals in Brazil. theguardian.com is running previews from four countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 12 June.

Alexandre Song
In May 2013, Alex Song was celebrating winning the Spanish title in his first season with Barcelona by playfully boxing with his team-mate Gerard PiquÃ© on the team bus. It caused a scandal in the media, where he was decried for fighting with his team-mates. One newspaper in Cameroon even called him a 'big brute'. But there was nothing to it. It was just two team-mates larking about.

Vincent Aboubakar
It was not just with his superb goal that Vincent Aboubaker distinguished himself in the defeat to Portugal in March. He also caught the eye by daring to celebrate his goal in the same way as Cristiano Ronaldo does. Was he comparing himself to the 2013 Ballon d'Or winner? Maybe. It was a great goal, after all. And you wouldn't bet against him repeating it in Brazil.

Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik
After Rennes' 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain last season, Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik was given an indefinite suspension by his club for 'trying to fight Rennes supporters'. After a group of fans from the Roazhon Celtic Kop (RCK) group shouted at him in the car park, the player got out of his car and challenged them to a fight. That was enough to earn him the label of the bad boy of the Cameroonian camp.

Jean-Armel Kana Biyik
Jean-Armel Kana Biyik is the nephew of Francois Omam-Biyik, the striker who scored the winning goal in Cameroon's famous victory over the holders Argentina in the opening game of the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

Landry Nguemo
The Bordeaux midfielder is an avid falconer and owns a white-tailed eagle named 'Mr George' after George Weah.

Arthur Wandji writes for Camfoot.com