Soccer-New Cameroon coach to seek Eto'o return
Posted Saturday, September 15, 2012 by Sports.yahoo.com
YAOUNDE, Sept 14 (Reuters) - New Cameroon coach Jean-Paul
Akono's first order of business will be to seek a return to the
team of disaffected captain Samuel Eto'o and defender Benoit
Assou Ekotto, he said on Friday.
Akono said both were needed if Cameroon were to fight back
from a two-goal deficit and avoid embarrassing elimination from
the next African Nations Cup finals at the hands of the tiny
Cape Verde Islands.
Akono was appointed on Thursday to replace Frenchman Denis
Lavagne after the Indomitable Lions suffered a shock 2-0 defeat
in the first leg of their final round qualifier last weekend.
"I want to work to fix all the conflicts that are within the
team," he told state radio on Friday, less than 24 hours after
his appointment.
"We are going to have to forget all these issues if we are
to avoid missing out on the Nations Cup finals again."
Eto'o, who has scored 53 goals in 106 internationals,
refused to play in the match in Praia to highlight what he
called amateurish organisation around the national team.
French-born Assou Ekotto has not played for Cameroon for 18
months because of similar complaints.
"This is a very short appointment and a somewhat difficult
task, because we have to fight back from two goals down to
qualify, which is difficult in this type of competition but not
impossible," Akono added.
Cameroon host the second leg in Yaounde on Oct. 13. The
aggregate winner advances to the 2013 finals in South Africa
from Jan. 19-Feb. 10.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Justin
Palmer)
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