The former Cameroonian legendary footballer, Samuel Eto’o yesterday, encouraged the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon to leave Morocco with their heads high, acknowledging their impressive performance despite defeat.
The ex-international went to the dressing room after the elimination and told the players: “When I see the sadness on your faces, I have to hold myself back from crying.”
Football pundits have questioned what they described as ‘poor officiating’, which they claimed was in favour of the host country, Morocco.
But speaking after the defeat, Eto’o said “We lost on the pitch, and that’s the truth. There may be other details that came into play, and they may be harsh, but this is football”.
He cautioned them against making any public statement on the game, saying “That’s why I don’t want to hear any statements that go off script from any of you—players or coaching staff—once we leave here, because we must accept defeat with dignity and with the courage that Cameroonians are known for.”
Eto’o continued “Be proud of yourselves and of the performance you delivered in this tournament. I thank you.
“Hold your heads high. You fought until the very last minute and gave everything. You defended the Cameroon shirt with honor. Elimination hurts, but it does not bring champions down. We will learn from this moment and come back stronger, tougher, and hungrier for victory.
The next title will be ours—remember my words. From now on, we must start preparing for it.”
