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Soccer News of Monday, 7 July 2014

Source: The Sun Newspaper

Could it be that Eto'o has clues to our football malaise?

With almost half of the time gone for the thirty days deadline given to the Prime Minister to organize a probe into what is actually going on with Cameroon football, the lesson from Brazil cannot be taken lightly and it would appear the captain of the Indomitable Lions has much to help this investigation.
I draw my guesswork from the man’s declaration, exactly 24 hours before the Indomitable Lions’ encounter with Croatia, which was of course, a very important match which had to determine just how far we can go in the competition, this time around, considering the fact that we had resolutely put behind us the lesson we learnt in South Africa.
In the declaration before the encounter with Croatia, Eto’o released some hints that might be useful not only in the diagnosis of the ailment of our football management, but also, the in-fighting within the team itself.
Although he failed to mention names, it seems instinctively clear, that he identifies his enemies, who, according to him, were trying to undermine the team. This is a very serious utterance, particularly when anger has gripped Cameroonians; anger provoked by our team’s inability to make any significant strides at the World Cup. This is however the collective anger of Cameroonians. But Eto’o as a person has his personal anger. In that declaration, before the Croatian encounter, Eto’o promised to deal with his enemies after the soccer encounter. “You can be sure that after the World Cup, I will respond to each and every person who has attacked me”.
One more serious promise is that he will give the names of everyone who is behind this story. Here, Eto’o has put to test the patriotic spirit of Cameroonians. This test is what Cameroonians dread so much that the mere mention of it is like saying the whole nation is like a shining carton containing rotten eggs.
Eto’o says after he has exposed those who have all along made things not work with the Lions; he will hand over the case to Cameroonians to determine in their wisdom, who loves and who does not love this country.However, of all that Eto’o said in his declaration, it appears the emphasis is more on his personal attack. For some time now, there has been debate about whether or not Eto’o should continue to captain the team. He believes there has been lots of campaign of blackmail against him personally.
It can only be hoped that in the course of what he promised as an exposure of his detractors, much of what he would say will have some connections to the main issue of bad management of Cameroon Football.
All the same, the commission of enquiry ordered by the president has a serious task in its hands. We have very sad memories of commissions of enquiries which have been instituted to look into certain issues, the outcome of which have never seen daylight, that is, if they have ever taken place at all, which only gives the impression that the system has never had faith in such important areas dealing with transparency.
The only factor that has never failed us as Cameroonians in keeping this country united, even when politics threatens, is football and I want to believe that the Head of State himself does not feel proud and confident of himself when the Indomitable Lions get hooked up.
One can therefore understand why he has decided to be furnished with every bit of information about what is actually happening with our football, which rose from 'grass to grace' only to slump back to grass.
Whoever heads this probe should remember that he has the most sensitive issue to tackle, and not a single iota of truth should be hidden or omitted. If Eto’o has the clue, let him be given the chance to speak freely. Speak freely and frankly not only in defence of his own pride, but in defence of the whole nation. His enemies may even turn out to be the worst enemies of the nation.