Kilbane warns Ireland of Mboma threat

Kevin Kilbane, the Sunderland winger, knows more than most how great a threat the Cameroon's Patrick Mboma will pose to the Republic of Ireland in their opening World Cup fixture.

Kilbane played alongside Mboma when the striker moved to the Stadium of Light on loan from the Italian side Parma for the last three months of the season. Mboma did not enjoy the best of fortunes in the Premiership. He was injured shortly after arriving on Wearside, he started five games and made another four appearances as a substitute, and scored just one goal.

But Kilbane will warn his Republic team-mates not to take the 31-year-old lightly when they face Cameroon in Niigata a week on Saturday. His international record – 27 goals in 48 appearances – speaks for itself.

"Patrick has got talent and he will be a threat," Kilbane said. "I suppose he would have looked to have scored more goals for us at Sunderland in the few months he was with us and he will be disappointed about that. He was injured for a while which hindered him, and when he did play he missed one or two chances, and he was a little bit disappointed when he was coming off the park.

"To be fair to him, we were struggling to avoid relegation and not playing well, and we didn't create enough chances for him, so he probably expected bigger things than he actually got. But he has got great skills; he holds the ball up well, he is strong, he likes the ball into his feet and he can create chances for other players as well."

Kilbane, 25, believes the Irish players are acclimatising well here in the western Pacific, although they are not getting as much sleep as they do back home. "It is what we expected, it is very hot, but we got used to it after the first couple of training sessions and the lads are feeling good," he said. "We are not fully acclimatised yet, but we are getting there. Most lads seem to be waking early in the morning, at 6-7am, which is unusual because we are used to sleeping till 10am."

Kilbane, who has won 33 caps and scored three goals, is set to start in the Republic's friendly against Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Saturday. But one man unlikely to make it is Kenny Cunningham. The Wimbledon defender missed training yesterday with a hamstring injury, although he is expected to be fit for the opening Group E game against Cameroon.

The Irish squad fly from here to Izumo on Friday and have a warm-up match the following afternoon against Hiroshima. Manager Mick McCarthy said he would not risk Cunningham – who is one of his first-choice centre-halves – unless he was 100 per cent fit. His place is likely to go to Gary Breen.

McCarthy added that his players were coping well with the conditions here. "They are all OK," he said. "They are eating and drinking plenty and they are all being monitored."