One of five African nations to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Cameroon isn’t a favorite with the bookmakers, but all eyes will be on the West African team if for no other reason than its iconic star player, Samuel Eto’o. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Cameroon’s World Cup soccer team.
1. Too old?
At 33, the iconic Cameroon player Samuel Eto’o took offense when his Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho suggested he was too old to play top-level football. Eto’o fired back calling Mourinho a “fool.” He’ll get to test his skills in front of the world next week in Brazil.
2. Not the oldest historically
Eto’o isn’t the oldest team member to ever play for Cameroon. According to The Economic Times of India, Eto’o’s countryman Roger Milla played in the World Cup at the “ripe old age of 38 in Italia 90 and went on to become the tournament’s oldest scorer at USA 94.”
The Economic Times of India reports that Cameroon has crashed out in the first round of every World Cup it played except in 1990, when it reached the quarter finals after winning its group, which included reigning champions Argentina.
Cameroon is in the difficult Group A along with Mexico, Croatia and host country Brazil. They play Mexico in their World Cup opener, which takes place on Friday June, 13.
8. When else to watch
Their second game is against Croatia on June 18 and their final game in the set takes place June 21 against host country Brazil.
9. Group stage choke predicted
German manager Volker Finke is in charge of the Cameroon team. But even though he has “brought his quick passing, attacking style of play to the team, another group-stage choke looks likely,” The Economic Times of India predicts.