Samuel Eto’o, a champion’s answer to his critics ⁰

There are moments in the beautiful game when victory is more than a score line. There are moments when a trophy becomes a statement, a response to doubt and a vindication of those who dared to believe. Cameroon’s historic triumph at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is one such moment.

The Indomitable Lionesses’ 3–0 victory over Malawi on Sunday will be remembered as the day Cameroon finally conquered Africa in the women’s game. It was the country’s first-ever African women’s title—a landmark achievement that deserves celebration far beyond the football pitch. And at the centre of this remarkable story stands Samuel Eto’o.

The former captain of the Indomitable Lions has endured intense criticism during his tenure at the helm of Cameroonian football. His leadership has been questioned; his decisions attacked and prominent voices close to the political establishment like Mathias Eric Owona Nguini-the television and talk-show professor have openly called for his departure. For his detractors, the federation under Eto’o had become synonymous with disappointment and controversy. But football has a way of delivering its own verdict.

Cameroon’s qualification for this tournament was itself a story of redemption. The Lionesses initially failed to qualify, only to receive a second chance when the four highest-ranked losing teams were invited into the competition. Cameroon seized that opportunity with both hands. What followed was not merely survival—it was transformation.

Under the pressure of expectation and criticism, the Lionesses marched all the way to the final. There, against a Malawi side that had captured the imagination of the continent with its extraordinary fairytale run, Cameroon produced a commanding 3–0 performance to lift the trophy.

That victory belongs first and foremost to the players and coaching staff who made history on the pitch. But Eto’o, as the leader of the federation, deserves recognition for being at the helm when Cameroon finally reached this summit.

His critics may not suddenly disappear, nor should one trophy erase every legitimate debate about the administration of Cameroonian football. Leadership must always remain open to scrutiny. But criticism must also be balanced with acknowledgement when achievement arrives. And this achievement is enormous.

Samuel Eto’o does not need to answer his detractors with angry words, press conferences or political arguments. The Lionesses have provided the most powerful response possible: a trophy.

For decades, Cameroon has been a giant of African football, particularly in the men’s game. The Indomitable Lions have carried the nation’s colours to continental glory on multiple occasions. Now, for the first time, the women have written their own chapter in Cameroon’s football history. Eto’o can rightly celebrate this moment.

He inherited a football culture with enormous expectations and formidable challenges. Whatever the controversies surrounding his administration, guiding Cameroonian football to its first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations crown is a milestone that cannot be dismissed.

The Lionesses have shown that a second chance can become a historic opportunity. They have shown that setbacks do not have to define a team. And they have given their federation president something no critic can take away from him: a place in the story of Cameroon’s first African women’s championship.

Samuel Eto’o has heard the criticism. On Sunday, the Indomitable Lionesses answered it. And they answered it with gold.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai