Commentary: Eto`o, may your luck see you through.

Just when this man of destiny is waxing in the aura of an international recognition, he is paradoxically being torn apart at the home front.

The Guardian Post edition of Saturday, August 18, reports that Samuel Eto´o Fils has been named second most famous African of the month of July, just ended. 

He was classed as a sportsman of global renown alongside Nigeria´s Aliko Dangote, in the business world; Democratic Republic of Congo´s Pastor, Marcello Tunsi in the Church world; and the woman from Ivory Coast, Awa Sanoko, in the world of modeling.

The same newspaper in its edition of Monday August 19, reports of an interview in which Marc Brys, coach of Cameroon´s national team, the Indomitable Lions, tears Eto´o into pieces.

According to coach Marc Brys, the over domineering presence of Eto´o; as he tries to take control of coaches, players and other stake holders in the management of Cameroon football accounts for the collapse of the entire football edifice of the country. 

Whereas, Eto´o has been at the helm of FECAFOOT for less than three years. The downslide has some two decades of history, to say the truth.

Ultra Pub traces the international football career of the star, and concludes that Eto´o left indelible footprints not only on African, but world football. And that influence continues to impact younger generations of football lovers all around the globe, as far as Ultra Pub is concerned.

This affirmation, Marc Brys accepts, but concludes that aside from juggling around with the round air-inflated object, everything else Eto´o ever put his hand on has been a disaster.

Eto´s is yet to tell his story

From a humble childhood that saw Samuel Eto´o focusing on how to develop his game in a football academy, no one dreamt he would be making waves across the globe as a retired footballer.

The eminence Eto´o enjoys today is testimony that success in life largely depends on individual effort, blessed by divine providence or luck. 

If you really want to be admired and respected, count on divine intervention and keep doing something to earn that honour and respect.

Cameroonians are still waiting for Coach Marc Brys to begin work and bring results that would silence those who doubt his ability to take the Indomitable Lions to somewhere enviable again.

Though he accuses Eto´o of doing everything to make sure he doesn’t succeed in his mission with the Indomitable Lions. 

Indeed, guided by the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Eto´o and Marc Brys are supposed to work in synergy for Cameroon football to regain its lost glory.

When two elephants fight…

When Marc Brys speaks, his age advantage over Eto´o shows. The coach is more meticulous and down-to-earth, when he is unveiling the shortcomings of Eto´o. 

Marc Brys makes it look as if it is a clash of personalities, for which Cameroon football as a whole continues to bear the brunt.

What keeps Cameroonians mesmerized is the lack of action from the government, through the Minister of Sports and Physical Education.

Funding of the game has dwindled to a point where, teams representing Cameroon at international tournaments will soon be unable to travel and defend their titles.

The question is whether it is also Eto´o´s personality problems that have caused the government to abandon the FECAFOOT boss to himself. While the minister remains silent, things continue to get worse in national football management.

As the funder of national sports, who hires and fires trainers, what is happening to Cameroon football at the moment is a national disgrace, to say the least.

How can a team that is travelling to play an opponent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, take the risk of travelling by boat and bus?

How can a team that wins interpools to end the sporting season be given 150,000 FCFA as prize money? And so on and so forth?

If luck has taken Eto´o to where he is today, sure the same could propel him to somewhere more significant tomorrow. That is why he needs the prayers of Cameroonians who want to see him succeed. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3204 Tuesday August 20, 2024