Eto’o wants Lions to dominate & ‘bring the FIFA World Cup trophy home’ ⁰

The FECAFOOT boss has expressed his desire to see the Indomitable Lions go all the way in Qatar and not just make up the numbers

Cameroon FA president Samuel Eto’o does not want the Indomitable Lions to just make up the numbers at the 2022 World Cup but rather try and bring the trophy home.

Cameroon are in Group G alongside five-time winners Brazil, Serbia and Switzerland as they return to the grand stage after failing to qualify for the 2018 tournament, but Eto’o wants them to grab the opportunity and go all the way.

“During last week’s General Assembly, we came together to discuss the road ahead for Cameroonian football,” Eto’o said via a social media post.

“We must seize every opportunity, nationally and internationally. We’ve made it to the World Cup, not to play extras but to dominate all seven matches and bring home the trophy.”

No African team has ever gone past the quarter-final at the World Cup and the Indomitable Lions’ best performance came in the 1990 edition in Italy when they reached the last eight.

Cameroon have also been to the 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014 editions but have not gone past the group stages, making the desires of Eto’o all the more difficult.

The Indomitable Lions have also not been at their very best in recent matches, having lost 1-0 at home to Algeria before edging them 2-1 with an extra-time goal to seal their World Cup ticket in March.

That came after Cameroon had come from three goals down to beat Burkina Faso in the third-place playoff of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations which they hosted and followed it up with a 1-0 victory against Burundi in a 2023 Afcon qualifier in June, a performance that did not impress Eto’o.

“I am not happy,” Eto’o told the players after the match. “I don’t care who you play against; you represent Cameroon. I am not happy at all. In my time, I missed the World Cup because I knew what problems I had. Those problems won’t repeat themselves while I’m president.

“Places in this team will be earned. Nobody, I repeat, nobody has a place guaranteed in this team. You must do your job. Whoever comes here to wear this shirt must do the job, or else, he goes and I will be happy to have the children play.”

The four-time African Player of the Year will hope that his charges have addressed the things he did not like in June’s performance before they take on Switzerland in their World Cup opener on November 24.

Cameroon have lined up two pre-World Cup friendly matches against South Korea and Uzbekistan next month.

Source: Goal.com