TAMALE, GHANA: Cameroon superstar Samuel Eto’o will hope the past does not return to haunt him in an African Nations Cup quarterfinal against Tunisia on Monday.
Two years ago in Egypt the Barcelona striker scored five goals in the group phase before the Indomitable Lions’ lost a marathon penalty shootout against Ivory Coast. It was the second consecutive quarterfinals exit for Cameroon, who have won the biennial tournament four times.
Fast forward to this year and Eto’o once again completed the three-match mini-league phase with five goals, lifting his overall tally to 16 and making him the leading all-time Nations Cup scorer.
A couple of the goals this year came from well struck penalties which will surely calm his nerves should the clash with Tunisia be deadlocked after extra time and go to spot kicks.
The quarterfinal at the 20,000-seat Tamale Stadium in this northern town may prove the tightest of the four as Cameroon pit stars like Eto’o against the well organised Tunisians.
Although he has moved two goals above Ivorian Laurent Pokou on the all-time list there is no lack of incentives for Eto’o, who scored twice against Egypt, once against Zambia and twice more against Sudan.
He needs another five from a possible three matches to overtake Mulamba Ndaye of the Democratic Republic of Congo, scorer of nine when his country lifted the 1974 Nations Cup in Cairo.
And the supreme African football predator is also closing on the all-time Cameroon record of 33-goal Patrick Mboma, needing four to draw level with a star of the 2000 Nations Cup-winning team.
“Samuel is the best striker in the world on his day and always among the top three,” boasts coach Otto Pfister who was put in charge of the Lions just before the tournament on a 40,000-dollar-a-month contract.
But the coach appointed by the sports minister against the wishes of the national football federation says Cameroon are far from a one-man show as they seek to match Egypt and claim a fifth title.
