|
ACTUALITE |
28.01.2022
Favourite son Eto´o is pride of Cup of Nations host city Douala
Cameroon´s economic capital is a loud and chaotic port city, hot and humid.
It is here that the country´s Indomitable Lions will face Gambia in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Saturday as Cameroon come to Douala for the first time in the tournament having played their previous matches in Yaounde.
Eto´o, who also starred for Inter Milan and wore the number nine for his country, moved to Douala with his family from the capital as a young boy.
He was raised in an unremarkable house on a dusty street in New Bell, an impoverished district where the locals are only too happy to talk about the man who put their neighbourhood on the map.
"He grew up here but he was blessed by God," says Valentine, a 49-year-old caterer sheltering from the scorching mid-afternoon sun just across the street from the Eto´o family house.
"Eto´o has helped a lot of people in this neighbourhood. Recently he came back here and laid on food for everyone in New Bell."
IMMORTALISED
Just along the street is a bar where the exterior walls are decorated with pictures of the four-time African Footballer of the Year.
Nearby the moto-taxis that can make navigating the streets a hazardous task pass in front of a statue of Eto´o in the green, yellow and red of Cameroon, with whom he won the AFCON in 2000 and 2002.
Eto´o was just 20 when he led the Indomitable Lions to that second continental title and it would be another two years before he signed for Barcelona and teamed up with players including Ronaldinho and a very young Lionel Messi.
In Douala it was clear Eto´o was a special talent from a very young age.
"He was little, lively and loved football," recalls Jean Rene Noubissi, who took Eto´o under his wing as he was starting out at local side UCB.
"He calls me his first president. I helped oversee his development.
"When he played for UCB he scored goals in every game and I would give him a little bonus as a reward.
"Even then you could see the discipline he had. He believed in his potential and knew where he wanted to go."
The walls of Noubissi´s cramped office in the Akwa business district are covered in pictures of him with Eto´o, including one with Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
ROLE MODEL
Eto´o was on the books at Real Madrid and starred for Mallorca before joining Barcelona, but before all of that he went to France to try his luck only to return home with his tail between his legs.
"When he came back he had no club but he was still very famous, everybody knew about him in Douala. When he was just 14 he was the one feeding the whole family," says Hiondi Nkam, author of a new book about Eto´o called "Les Anges et Les Demons" (Angels and Demons).
He was not yet 16 when he made his international debut and barely 17 when he went to the 1998 World Cup after newly-appointed coach Claude Le Roy decided he could not ignore such a precocious talent.
"I wanted to give a chance to all the locally-based players to see if there were any gems among them, and I saw this young player who seemed so comfortable tactically and so intelligent," Le Roy told AFP.
"He was just a kid but he wasn´t afraid of all the big names in the team."
Having retired from playing in 2019 aged 38, Eto´o has quickly transitioned into a leadership role off the field and in December, he was elected president of Cameroon´s Football Federation.
"People believe that he is not there for money or fame, but he is there to help," says Nkam, who sums up what Eto´o means to New Bell.
"He is a role model. He was selfish on the field of play but very, very human off it. Some people would say that after God comes Samuel Eto’o.”
|
|
Hits: 1 | Source:Autres | |
|
|
|
|
| |
ACTUALITE |
Sept matches de suspension prévus pour Samuel Eto’o
Hier soir, la commission de discipline de la Fecafoot n’avait pas rendu ses propositions publiques. Enoh Eyong et Benoit Assou Ekotto, qui ont brillé par leur absence à l’audition de lundi, encouraient respectivement quatre et trois matches de......
[][14.12.2011][14059 hits][0 R]
|
|
Anzhi : Eto`o se justifie encore
Arrivé cet été à l’Anzhi Makhachkala, Samuel Eto’o fait le point alors que la Premier Liga russe entre dans sa pause hivernale de trois mois. Dans les colonnes de France Football, le Camerounais justifie son choix controversé.......
[][29.11.2011][10299 hits][0 R]
|
|
Eto’o à Anzhi veut devenir aussi riche que son président !
Samuel Eto`o n`a pas fini de faire parler de lui. L`ancien joueur de l`Inter Milan, parti s`exiler en Russie « pour faire un grand voyage » ,a livré une interview choc au journal France Football dans le cadre du FIFA ballon d`or 2011 que le......
[][29.11.2011][10959 hits][0 R]
|
|
FIFA Ballon d`Or - Kharja : «Eto`o reste l`attaquant le plus fort»
En attendant la liste des trois derniers candidats au FIFA Ballon d`Or 2011, qui sera dévoilée le 5 décembre prochain, retrouvez pendant tout le mois de novembre les pronostics de joueurs évoluant en France et en Europe. C`est au tour de Houssine......
[Autres][20.11.2011][10507 hits][0 R]
|
|
Distinction : Eto’o, seul africain au monde
L’attaquant d’Anzhi Makhatchkala est l’unique représentant du continent parmi les 23 nominés du ballon d’or Fifa 2011.......
[quotidienmutations.info][02.11.2011][7818 hits][0 R]
|
|
Eto`o n`a «pas l`intention de revenir»
Samuel Eto`o (30 ans) ne reviendra pas cet hiver à l`Inter pour pallier l`absence de Diego Forlan, comme cela a été un temps évoqué. L`attaquant d`Anzhi Makhachkala l`a confirmé dimanche sur Canal+.......
[Autres][31.10.2011][8407 hits][0 R]
|
|
Anzhi : Eto’o raconte ses derniers mercatos
Tout a déjà été dit ou presque sur le transfert de Samuel Eto’o à Anzhi. Dans les colonnes de L’Équipe, l’international camerounais a levé le voile sur ce qu’il restait de mystères, à savoir comment le club du président Souleyman Kerymov l’avait......
[footmercato.net][15.09.2011][12094 hits][0 R]
|
|
Anzhi : Eto’o est déjà le patron
Adaptation pour réussie pour Samuel Eto’o, déjà auteur de deux buts sous ses nouvelles couleurs. L’attaquant camerounais réalise des débuts fracassants avec le club du Daguestan, où il s’impose déjà comme le......
[Afrik.com][15.09.2011][11958 hits][0 R]
|
|
Transfert : Eto’o évoluera en Russie
Après la visite médicale hier matin à Rome, le buteur de l’Inter Milan déposera finalement ses valises à Anzhi......
[][24.08.2011][15142 hits][0 R]
|
|
Mercato : "Il faut respecter le choix d`Eto`o" de partir à Anzhi, dit Mboma
Samuel Eto`o, un des meilleurs attaquants de la planète, s`est engagé avec le club russe d`Anzhi Makhachkala pour trois ans et 60 millions d`euros de salaire, devenant le joueur le mieux payé au monde. Patrick Mboma, l`ancien coéquipier du capitaine......
[Jeune Afrique l`Intelligent][22.08.2011][10747 hits][0 R]
|
|
Primes.Samuel Eto’o brandit des preuves .
Primes. Alors que l’enquête annoncée par le ministre des Sports piétine, le capitaine des Lions Indomptables persiste, à travers des documents, que des gens ont émargé à sa......
[quotidienlejour.com][27.06.2011][12796 hits][0 R]
|
|
Lions indomptables : Samuel Eto’o blanchi
La commission de discipline a acquitté le capitaine de l’équipe nationale, tandis que Alexandre Song et Assou Ekotto reçoivent des blâmes.......
[quotidienmutations.info][27.06.2011][10934 hits][0 R]
|
|
Samuel Eto’o : Le cauchemar
Il a manqué un penalty à l’ultime minute de jeu, poussant ainsi les supporters des Lions dans une énorme......
[][06.06.2011][14717 hits][0 R]
|
|
Eto`o : «J`assume mes responsabilités»
Coupable d`avoir manqué un penalty à la dernière minute du temps réglementaire face au Sénégal (0-0), Samuel Eto`o a laissé filer une victoire décisive dans la course à la qualification pour la CAN 2012. Si l`attaquant des Lions Indomptables......
[][05.06.2011][10826 hits][0 R]
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|