The president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto’o, continues to be talked about, on the occasion of the 33rd edition of the African Cup of Nations which showed setbacks, some of them very serious , since the opening match on January 9.
This time, these are warlike remarks having no connection with the sportsmanship which must nevertheless prevail during competitions. The Egyptian coach, whose team is preparing to face Cameroon in the semi-finals, did not miss the former Barça star.
For the president of FECAFOOT, the CAN semi-final match, which the Indomitable Lions will play on Thursday February 3 against the Pharaohs of Egypt, is a “war”. It was enough for the coach of Egypt, the Portuguese Carlos Queiroz, to denounce the remarks described as unfortunate and a very bad message. Once again, the words of Samuel Eto’o, spoken in the locker room at the end of the quarter-final match won against Gambia, did not go unnoticed.
“ Get ready because it will be war ”
What angered the Egyptian coach was the warrior remarks of the former FC Barcelona player on the Cameroon-Egypt match counting for the semi-final of CAN 2021. A video from the Cameroonian Federation shows Samuel Eto ‘o in the locker room galvanizing the players after their victory in the quarter-finals, and this, in the locker room of the stadium where the Cameroon-Gambia meeting took place.
The president of FECAFOOT skidded during his intervention when he qualified the next match against Egypt as a war. ” Guys, everything you’ve done, you have to do it on Thursday! With the same mentality, get ready because it will be war! War, guys! That’s how we should approach this game! The war ! “, indeed declared Samuel Eto’o in front of the players of the Cameroon team, just after congratulating them for their qualification against Gambia.
Eto’o ” forgot that Cameroonians died at the stadium “
But for Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz, this slippage has not fallen on deaf ears. He did not fail to denounce “unfortunate” remarks and “a very bad message to the Cameroonian people”. ” I think he forgot that Cameroonians died at the stadium several days ago, and so to make this declaration of war before a match shows that he has learned nothing from his time in professional football,” said assaulted the former coach of several European clubs, including Manchester United and Real Madrid.
The coach of the Pharaohs of Egypt considers that “it was a very, very unfortunate comment, because football is not a war, it is a celebration, joy and happiness. We will respond to war with football, we will respond to football with joy. We are here to please people, not to kill them, but to give them pleasure and joy,” he added with great bitterness.
It is important to remember that for this new edition of the African Cup which has experienced many setbacks , Egypt qualified for the last four of CAN 2021 after its victory (2-1) against the selection of Morocco that directs the former coach of Algeria, the Franco-Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic. For its part, the selection of Cameroon eliminated the Scorpions of Gambia, by 2 goals to 0. This Egypt-Cameroon match is considered a real final before the letter, compared to the other semi-final which will oppose, this Wednesday 2 February, Senegal to Burkina Faso.
