Samuel Eto’o, a former striker for Cameroon, claims it is the responsibility of Africans to preserve the schedule of the Africa Cup of Nations.
In order to escape the rainy season in the Central African country, the 2021 event was staged in Cameroon in January and February of this year, in the middle of the European season.
After the 2023 finals in Ivory Coast were postponed to early 2024 due to weather concerns, the issue will continue to arise with clubs who have been obliged to release players due to the scheduling of the Nations Cup
Owner and president of Napoli Aurelio de Laurentiis stated that the Italian club would not sign any more Africans unless they agreed to forgo participation in the biennial competition. Senegal coach Aliou Cisse responded by stating that club obligations should never come before international commitments.
Eto’o, who played for Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Inter Milan at various points in his career and twice won the Nations Cup with the Indomitable Lions, has endorsed Cisse’s position.
The current president of the Cameroon football federation (Fecafoot), Eto’o, told BBC Sport Africa that “we are Africans — nobody else can protect our continent better than ourselves.”
“I emphasized the significance of playing in January and February before the Nations Cup in Cameroon, which obviously didn’t sit well with some people.
But in Africa, this is a fact. In our continent, the rainy season lasts through early September and into June, July, and August. Simply getting everyone on the same page and clarifying things will solve the problem.
“I am relieved to see young people from this continent understanding that no one else would defend our land for us,” the author said.
Eto’o claims that the World Cup’s scheduling this year, in the middle of the European season, demonstrates the willingness of clubs to make compromises.
On November 14, players must be released in preparation for the finals in Qatar, which begin six days later and conclude on December 18th.
On the weekend of November 12–13, England’s Premier League will play its final pre–World Cup matchups before returning on December 26.
For the first time ever, Eto’o, 41, declared, “We can see that the World Cup will be contested in November and December.”
Making it happen is possible.
