Samuel Eto’o: Cameroon will host a great AFCON next year

CAF Ambassador Samuel Eto'o stands next to the Africa Cup of Nations trophy before the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Algeria and Senegal at Cairo Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, 19 July 2019.

by Graeme Jackson

Tuesday May 05, 2020. 13:00

African football legend Samuel Eto’o has expressed his confidence that his home country of Cameroon will host a “beautiful party” for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The tournament is scheduled to be held in January and February next year, but there has been speculation that it will be affected by the coronavirus crisis which has thrown massive upheaval into sporting calendars around the world.

It has been mooted that the AFCON could be pushed back to June-July (its original dates, before organisers requested a change due to concerns over weather conditions in the middle of the year) and Eto’o is confident that Cameroon will be successful regardless.

“Cameroon is a unique country, it’s a football country. The only regret I can have is that I cannot participate in this tournament as a football player,” Eto’o told RFI.

“We were able to note with great joy all the efforts made by the Cameroonian government and the Cameroonian people by giving all the sportsmen and lovers of football a stadium worthy of the stadiums of Europe.”

The former Barcelona, Internazionale and Chelsea striker added, “We have nothing to envy today in certain European countries. Today, my young brothers have these infrastructures. We will do everything to make them ready to offer us one of the most beautiful African Cup of Nations ever organised.

“But the one that is beautiful for us will be the one that we will win. Cameroon will be ready for AFCON. Cameroon already has everything to host AFCON.”