SAMUEL ETO’O AND FELLOW LIONS INTERVIEW

An interview with Cameroon and Inter Milan star Samuel Eto’o as well as past and present Cameroon stars courtesy of Puma:

You’ve had a fantastic season does that help you going into the World Cup?

Even if my season with inter Milan hadn’t been that good the World Cup is motivation enough.

How important is the World Cup in Africa?

The World Cup is a huge party for everyone in Africa. So I hope African countries will do the best for the image of Africa.

How much pressure is there on you at the World Cup?

Football is a huge party so we just try and have a good time. My hope is that I have an enchanted moment and if god helps and I score goals that would be fantastic of course but my aim is to help the team and I’m absolutely sure that if we think as a group and work as a group we’ll have an amazing World Cup.

How do you rate your chances in Group E?

We have the same chances as any other country in the group but it’s not an easy group and well need to play at 200 percent if we are to progress to the next step. We hope that luck will be with us.

It’s been a long time since you got to the knock out stage. Is this your year?

Quarter final in itself is not a title. For me there’s no point: in my career I’ve done better than that before. I think we should have a dream to reach the last day and if God can help us that would be fantastic.

What does Africa Unity mean to you?

We should all look in the same direction. Puma has given us the orientation – when a team is playing we shouldn’t just support one country but a whole continent.

How does it feel to wear a whole continent on your shoulders?

It’s like wearing a whole continent on your shoulders.

What experience has Paul Le Guen brought to the team?

He was a fantastic player and is now a great coach. He brought all the professional aspects to Cameroon: the calm, the vision and the focus to get everybody to do their jobs.

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• Cameroon legend Roger Milla on…

Samuel Eto’o

“He’s the best centre-forward in the world”

Cameroon 2010 vs Cameroon 1990

“Today African teams are more organised and focused – at this World Cup we could do amazing things”

• Cameroon goalkeeper Carlos Kameni on…

Their Group E rivals

“We respect the other teams in our group but we don’t fear them”

The influence of the Premier League

“The Premier League gives Cameroon players a strong spirit It is a hard league and those players who play there give us extra spirit”

The importance of goalkeepers

“Some people just talk about strikers but if you don’t have a goalkeeper you can’t win a game”

• Cameroon striker Mohammadou Idrissou on…

Being Indomitable Lions

“I believe we can win the World Cup We have the name We are Cameroon We are lions”

Group E favourites Holland

“We don’t need to be afraid of Holland They need to be afraid of Cameroon”

Progressing to the Second Round

“I believe that Holland and Cameroon will go through”

Reputations

“It’s not enough to have big players from big teams They need to be ready”

The Group E dark horses

“Everybody talks about Holland but we know that Denmark won nearly every game in qualifying This is a serious group”

The importance of Samuel Eto’o

“Eto’o is a good player and a team player He’s a great captain and we need him But we have 23 players and we all need to fight”

Tactics

“Paul Le Guen has shown us that we can’t just attack – we need to also defend”

Motivation

“The World Cup is different from the Cup of Nations – it won’t be hard to get motivated there”

• Rigobert Song on…

His third World Cup

“This will be by most special World Cup as it will be my last one I’ve given a lot to Cameroon but I

will treat this one like my first World Cup I’ll be like a young player who wants to improve – I want

to do something special”

Winning the tournament

“I do think we can the World Cup If we can beat Japan and make it through to the second round

then I’m very confident”

His record of two red cards in two World Cups

“I got my two red cards at World Cups when I was learning my trade It was a period of transition but if you look at my record these days I get much less cards”

His career future

“I’m coming to the end of a two year contract with Trabzonspor but I’m waiting to see what will happen after the World Cup”

• Cameroon’s  1990 Olympic gold medal winner Patrick Mboma on…

Being slow starters

“Cameroon’s problem is we’re slow to start in tournaments but we don’t have that luxury because we have to win that first game against Japan It’s better to play Netherlands with six points in the pocket”

Cameroon’s two striking legends

“Eto’o has won so much but Roger Milla opened the door for other players”