Samuel Eto’o could play at 2018 World Cup, says Cameroon coach
Samuel Eto’o could continue playing for Cameroon until the 2018 World Cup and coach Volker Finke says it is too early to be talking about the 33-year-old’s international retirement.
Already eliminated, Cameroon take on Brazil in their final Group A match on Monday and Finke told a news conference that Eto’o, who has a knee injury, had missed training on Sunday and would only feature for a few minutes against the hosts, if at all.
The German dismissed a suggestion the match at the national stadium in Brasília could be Eto’o’s 119th and last outing for the Indomitable Lions, who lost their opening two games to Mexico and Croatia.
“Maybe he can play a few minutes but to be in the starting lineup looks out of the question,” Finke said. “I don’t believe in miracles so I very much doubt he will be able to start. In any case, I don’t think it would be his last match with Cameroon. It might not necessarily be his last match at the World Cup,” he said.
“I know he wants to continue two, three years maybe four, which would take him to the next World Cup. He needs maybe two or three weeks to be fully fit. Without the knee injury he is a physically fit player and he has two or three good years in him.”
A four-times African Footballer of the Year, Eto’o made his first appearance at a World Cup finals in France in 1998. The tournament in Brazil is his fourth, only the third African player to achieve the feat. He has won the Africa Cup of Nations twice, in 2000 and 2002, as well as an Olympic gold medal, also in 2000, and is Cameroon’s all-time leading marksman with 54 goals.
Earlier this season while playing for Chelsea, José Mourinho questioned Eto’o’s age of 33 years but was branded “a fool” by the striker, who added last month that he was “going to carry on playing because physically and mentally I feel great. So I am going to go to this World Cup and to the next one when I will be 37. Some did it at 42, so I can still play in two more World Cups.”
Brazil need to avoid defeat on Monday to secure their place in the last 16 and Finke said the pressure on the South Americans might work in Cameroon’s favour. Whatever the outcome, Cameroon, whose World Cup campaign has been wrecked by infighting and ill-discipline, will play without Alex Song after the Barcelona midfielder was handed a three-match ban, as well as a £13,000 fine, for elbowing Mario Mandzukic during their defeat to Croatia.
“It’s clear that if it’s a difficult game for Brazil there will be a lot of pressure on their shoulders,” Finke said. “This is why maybe it will work in our favour. They need to control the game and cannot take any risks. For us it doesn’t really matter to be honest. It’s a pity we don’t have any pressure but our previous results were not good enough and we hope to leave with our heads held high.
“It’s very important for each player for the reputation of Cameroon soccer. We don’t want to leave the World Cup on another negative note.”