Despite the calm in the lion’s den, Samuel Eto’o demands more from The Indomitable Lions as he motivates them into the last 16.
The indomitable lions of Cameroon are the current hosts of the ongoing Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations. With this Jamboree being the 33rd edition, Cameroon have secured five titles over the years, and their current Federation of Cameroon Football (FECAFOOT) president Samuel Eto’o , still holds unprecedented records in the competition, one of which Indomitable lions Captain, Vincent Aboubakar just drew level with him, and might break it, should he score in the next game.
The lions, who won the competition in Gabon in 2017, with an impeccable complete comeback, with goals from Nkoulou and Aboubakar, will be looking to win this one, to try to draw closer to Egypt who sit two places ahead of them, with seven titles.
After three group games, Cameroon didn’t secure a 100% record as they would have loved to, but they still emerged top of the group with seven points, with Aboubakar leading the scoring charts with five goals.
With football seeming to be the only uniting tool in a country where peace has been absent some points (North West and the South West Region), Eto’o is making sure that Cameroonian players give their all, and try to meet up with the demands of the 25 million Cameroonians, even if they feel the population is asking for more.
In his dressing room message to the indomitable lions, he said ” I am not happy tonight, because despite the work you all have put in, you don’t seem excited, there’s no ambiance. You’re the top of your group, and i don’t see you looking excited, no music, no ambiance, it’s not easy to do what you all have done” the FECAFOOT president expressed his discontentment to the lions.
“You are supposed to be happy for the job you’ve done for the 25 million Cameroonians. We are happy, but you, who did the job, are not happy, there’s no reason not to be happy. We are about to enter into the next phase. You’ve accomplished your mission, so relax and treat every coming game now, like a final, we have five more to go… ” he added.
Mr. Samuel Eto’o without any exaggerations, is an achiever, understands human resource management, acknowledges the new football generation, and does reminds the captain Vincent Aboubakar, after giving him a tap on the back, that he doesn’t have anything to tell him (the captain).
Though some players like Bassogog didn’t look all excited, maybe because they’re not getting enough playing time, all what we observe is that there’s a calm on the lions den, and the future looks bright with Samuel in the booth. He acknowledged that all the bonuses will be paid into the players accounts, as he did reiterate that they were deserving.
For those who know the story, Cameroon National team has always battled in the past with payment issues, to the extend that players would go on strike. Mr. Eto’o who was burnt by this fire as a player in those days, will be looking to avoid all that under his regime.
With the job he’s being doing since pronounced as president, he only officially went operational as president 48 hours ago, after his predecessor officially handed office to him. He is equally celebrating 14 million Facebook followers, a milestone only he holds nationwide.
Many believe he can use his influence to strike a balance in his country, though it might be early to ask this, but in your opinion, do you think he’ll bring a calm to Cameroon?
