27 Septembre 2012

● Some supporters of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon soccer team received the news of the decision of Samuel Eto'o to return to squad with a big sigh of relief.

Philemon Yang welcomes Samuel Eto'o at Premier's office © spm.gov.cm

The decision to convince and bring him back into the team was echoed a few hours after the nomination of Jean Paul Akono as the new team trainer. This came on the heels of the frustration and confusion that has been ravaging the fans of Cameroon football following the defeat the lions suffered in the hands of the little unknown Cape Verde a fourth night ago.

Setting one of his major ambitions to build up a stronger team ahead of the 2013 AFCON return leg in Yaounde come October 14, 2012, Akono wasted no time to announce that he was determined to bring back Eto'o and other talented players who had abandoned the team. Standing by his words, in less than a week in his new function, he contacted Eto'o to discuss about his eminent return to the squad.

Given the stakes of the return leg and the importance attached to football in Cameroon, the Prime Minister and Head of Government Mr. Philemon Yang sent a special invitation to Samuel Eto'o Fils. This meeting also brought together the Minister of Sports Adoum Garoua, the team coach Jean Paul Akono and the team manager Rigobert Song Bahanac yesterday Tuesday, October 25th, 2012 in Yaounde. This meeting which was held behind closed doors for about an hour revealed the big news that Samuel Eto'o had accepted to play for the indomitable lions in the return leg of the AFCON qualifiers to be played in a fourth night.

This decision to return and play for the national soccer team of Cameroon has been received with mixed feelings by many Cameroonian football lovers. Many doubt who and what must have motivated Eto'o's decision given that the 'Amateurism and Lack of Professionalism' which he decried a month ago have not yet been addressed. Has his decision to return been influenced by Patriotism, Jean Paul Akono or the Prime minister?

Furthermore, some on-lookers think that Samuel Eto'o might have been promised huge financial gains if he play and qualifies Cameroon for the AFCON 2013. This notwithstanding, fervent supporters of Eto'o strongly think that his decision to play for the team is to appease his fans and to leave his mark as the all time highest goal scorer in the history of African football.

Given the on-going effort being made by Jean Paul Akono to galvanize the squad for the return leg game, it is hoped that time will heal the wound to pay off for the short-term adjustment.

Patrick Tanyi

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