Royal AM goalkeeper Hugo Nyame is not concerned that his nation has not done well in the past World Cups, saying preparation in previous editions was not at its best.
Cameroon are led by their great star as football association president Samuel Eto’o, who boldly said his country will reach the final of the Qatar World Cup against Morocco, another African nation in the FIFA premier tournament.
The Indomitable Lions, who finished third in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at home in February this year, will open the World Cup against Switzerland in a Group G match at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah (12:00).
Their second match will be against Serbia at the same venue on 28 November before concluding the group stages against five-time world champions Brazil at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail on 2 December.
However, Cameroon, who are one of three nations from Africa to have reached the World Cup quarter-finals, have lost all their last seven World Cup matches. The country’s last victory was against Saudi Arabia where interestingly Eto’o scored the winning goal and coach Rigobert Song was part of the side.
Their last World Cup match was a 4-1 loss to the Samba Kings in the 2014 edition in Brazil, the match Eto’o watched on the bench.
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“Before every competition, there is preparation and when the preparation is not good enough, then don’t expect to go and do the magic,” said Nyame, who represented Cameroon five times in 2016.
“Football is not about magic, because if there was magic in football, Africa would be number one continent in the world. Yes, we haven’t done well in the World Cups, because our preparations weren’t good and that was obvious.
“Now everything has changed in our football and we have a very good president. We have very good players, who are playing overseas.”
With all the changes in Cameroon, Nyame has given credit to Eto’o for pulling his nation in the right direction after he was appointed as the FA president last year.
The 41-year-old, who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time in Africa, scored three goals in the four World Cups with the Indomitable Lions.
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“The coming of Samuel Eto’o into our football as the president is like a God,” said Nyame, who is the cousin of Lyon and Cameroon star forward Karl Toko Ekambi.
“Because he alone in less than one year did what people who were there for years failed to do. He changed everything in football and football looks like football in our country.
“Samuel Eto’o is our messiah in Cameroon.”
