The President of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot), Samuel Eto’o spoke about the decline experienced by South African football. The African legend was quick to address a small tackle to Bafana Bafana before they entered the fray at Afcon 2023.
For several years, the South African national team has not performed. Bafana Bafana return to the Africa Cup of Nations after failing to qualify two years ago. They face Mali, Namibia and Tunisia in Group E in Korhogo, the northernmost of Ivory Coast’s five host cities.
In South Africa, they expect Bafana Bafana to at least draw against Mali or Tunisia and beat Namibia to qualify for the round of 16 of Afcon 2023. But with Hugo Broos, anything is possible. The Belgian technician knows the competition very well, having won it with Cameroon in 2017 when the Indomitable Lions were not even announced among the big favorites.
In any case, we will have to count on South Africa which during its last participation in Afcon 2019 finished among the best third. But once in the round of 16 against the host country, Egypt, Bafana Bafana surprised everyone by winning in the final minutes.
Samuel Eto’o’s tackle on South Africa
Returning to the AFCON after eliminating Egypt from the AFCON 2019 in the round of 16, South Africa has been on AC power for several years. For Samuel Eto’o, it’s really incomprehensible how Bafana Bafana no longer gets their heads above water, yet they have one of the best championships on the continent.
“I don’t understand why Bafana Bafana have consistently underperformed at the Africa Cup of Nations,” Samuel Eto’o told AFP during a visit to South Africa. The South African championship is good organized and one of the best in Africa, so I don’t understand why the national team is not that good. Football managers need to sit down and plan how to take Bafana to another level and make it the best national team in Africa. Given the strength of the national championship, it is possible,” said the President of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot).
Benni McCarthy responds to Samuel Eto’o
Samuel Eto’o’s exit on South Africa is not without reaction. The first figure to respond to the FC Barcelona legend is Benni McCarthy, emblematic figure of Bafana Bafana.
The former FC Porto striker, now assistant coach at Manchester United, wanted to respond to Samuel Eto’o. He explains the decline of South African football by the lack of desire of Bafana Bafana players.
“They don’t want to join a European club, fight the cold and fight for a starting place, Bafana Bafana’s all-time top scorer told reporters. Unlike a few decades ago, when all South African footballers dreamed of moving to Europe, the current group is happy to stay at home, earn good salaries and be socially popular,” explained Benni McCarthy before adding.
“I coached two top South African clubs and often felt like the mobile phone was seen as a more important asset than a football. “, he concluded.
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