Job, Wome hit Eto’o, Song over poor management of national team!.

In separate outings recently, the duo spoke on the management of the national football selection.

They picked the cases of defender Michael Ngadeu and goalkeeper Andre Onana, which have been topical among fans and supporters of the team for a while now.

Job who won the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON in 2000 alongside Eto’o and Song as captain made dazzling revelation concerning the cases of Ngadeu and Onana.

He was reacting on Gueules de sports, a program on popular Douala based radio, Radio Sport Info, RSI.

Job bemoaned the fact that the fracas between first choice goalkeeper, Andre Onana and Rigobert Song was not properly addressed.

He stated that the retirement of Onana, whom he has great admiration for, from international football prematurely over the brawl, is a clear indication of the cacophony within the national team. 

“The Andre Onana case has been very badly handled so far. We come out of a World Cup without taking stock. During this World Cup, we lost a major element, decisive for the national team and so far, we still have no explanation,” Job said.

He went ahead: “Today, he is said to be retiring from international football. Me, I don't agree. He's not retiring; he's just stepping aside because there's a problem. He wants to play for the national team, but the conditions and the current situation do not allow it. The goalkeeper problem today is problematic; we don't have our best goalkeeper in the national team,”.

Job expressed dismay that despite the presence of former players in the den, the situation was not getting any better. 

“What bothers me is that the national team is supposed to be made up of the best players. But we don't have our best goalkeeper. The national team belongs to Cameroonians, not to an individual. No one can condone the way this case was handled. Especially since within the team, there are former major players who hold responsibilities,”.

Unambitious national team

Despite Cameroon’s improved participation at the 2022 FIFA World, there have been serious questions over the team ambitions.

According to Desire Job, the national team is not goal-oriented. This is so because of their failure to draw a balance sheet after their participation and retain the positives.

“We are coming out of the biggest football competition, which is the World Cup. After this World Cup, I expected that there would be an assessment of our participation. That's what we hoped for, but it didn't happen,”.

He went further to say “When we have the responsibility of managing the national team, we have to render accounts because the national team belongs to all Cameroonians. We are accountable to all these populations,”

To him, “It's unclear what the team's goals are. There is no communication. I hope that during the coach's press conference, he will discuss all these points. Successes cannot be prepared in uncertainty and lack of communication,”.

Job on Ngadeu’s case

Desire Job has also questioned Rigobert Song’s decision not to select Micheal Ngadeu to the national team.

Although Job believes Song is acting within his rights as head coach, he however opines that it is important to provide justification for the absence of a player who was part of the core of the team.

“The non-selection of Ngadeu is a choice of the coach, but he must assume it. A list, in essence, is open to criticism. But on the Ngadeu case, given his status as a key player, if he is not on the list, it is still necessary to be able to explain the reasons for this choice.”

“The new management team of the federation has put its mandate under the sign of transparency. But what is regrettable is that there was no explanation. And if it's not done, that means there's a blur somewhere.”

“I have respect for the others, but there are still essential players. At the time, could we imagine a list without Kalla Nkongo and without an explanation from the coach? It was impossible. I make the parallel because it is practically the same thing”.

 Job’s reproaches re-echoed by Pierre Wome Nlend

The former Cameroon left back revealed that since the arrival of Samuel Eto’o at the helm of FECAFOOT, the country’s football has suffered certain setbacks.

He disclosed that the situation of Andre Onana vis-à-vis the national team requires that it should be solved. He also maintained that Nicolas Nkoulou “did not deserve to be at the World Cup”.

“What is happening with Andre Onana is serious. It was poorly handled,” Wome Nlend said.

He also added: “Nkoulou didn't deserve to go to the World Cup. He hadn't been in the squad for a while. It had been a very long time since he had exercised. It is the coach who makes his choices, but I would have preferred Ngadeu. The criticisms around Nkoulou's presence are not exaggerated. I don't think he deserved to go to the World Cup.”  

Pierre Wome Nlend and Desire Job are not the first former players to air their minds regarding the recent happening in the national team.

A week ago, 2017 AFCON winner Sebastien Siani revealed that Ngadeu will not be coming back to the national team after being left out of the squad.

It should be recalled that during the pre-match press conference ahead of the 2023 AFCON qualifying game between Cameroon and Namibia, Coach Rigobert Song maintained that the doors of the national team are still open to Andre Onana.

 “In a group, there has to be discipline. Andre Onana is one of the best in the world in his domain and national team remains open to him. He has to be conscious and respect collective rules; that’s my priority” Song told newsmen in Yaounde on March 23, 2023.