Eto’o fired as Lions’ captain, dropped from squad

Sports and Physical Education Minister, Adoum Garoua has fired Samuel Eto’o as national football team Captain replacing him with no nonsense midfielder Stephane Mbia.

A ministerial decision announcing the appointments Monday also said that Mbia will be assisted by strikers Eric Maxim Choupo Moting and Vincent Aboubakar as first and second deputy respectively.

Eto’o has also been dropped from Cameroon’s current squad. “Eto'o is one of the best in the world, he’s a great player.

Now I'm in a process of rejuvenating my team. I will not do it with players who have more than thirty years,” National football team coach, German-born Volke Finke told Le Jour, justifying why he dropped 33-year Eto’o from the new squad that should qualify Cameroon for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

He continued: “You know, you cannot hide age. At one point, you will be caught up with injuries. It is only normal. And if we take into account that mentality, it is normal to sideline him (Eto’o). This applies to each player. At the World Cup, he was injured, he played a match and after that it was impossible. Until today, all is not perfect.”

Additionally, Finke said there are a good number of players who have been with the national team for years and just waiting for the day when they will be given a chance to proof their worth and this is the time to give them an opportunity. This explains why his list of 25 players called to camp is made up of remarkable number of newcomers and home-based players.

Without Eto’o in the current squad, Finke said his new staff appointed last weekend must look for other players who can give something to the team. “I do not want to change everything but I think the team must show a different face.

That's why I work for the rejuvenation of the team. The team has lost that (winning) spirit that you saw against Germany, against Libya and in the second game against Tunisia (in qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup),” he added.

The new squad is composed of three categories of players with the first composing experienced players in the likes of Stephane Mbia, Enoh Eyong, Nicolas Nkoulou, among others.

The second group is composed of players Finke says he has given a second chance with examples like Georges Mandjeck and Léony Kweukeu. The third group is that of new players, that is to say young people.

Finke’s New Squad
I- Goal Keepers
NDY ASSEMBE FC Nancy
ABOGO Pierre Sylvain Tonnerre de Yaoundé
ONDOUA Joseph Fabrice FC Barcelona

II- Defenders
DJEUGOU Cédric - Coton Sport de Garoua
GUIHOTA Jérôme - FC Valenciennes
MATIP Joël - Schalke 04
NKOULOU Nicolas - O. Marseille
BONG Gaëtan - Olympiakos
BAGNACK Frank - FC Barcelona
OYONGO BITOLO Ambroise - New York Red Bulls

III- Midfielders
ENOW EYONG -
MBIA Stéphane -
LOE Raoul Cédric - C.A Osasuna
SALLI Edgar - A.S Monaco
ZOCK Guy Christian - Cosmo de Bafia
MANDJECK Georges - Kayseri Erciyesspor
KIBONG à MBAMBA Marc - Konyarspor

IV- Strikers/Attackers
CHOUPO-MOTING Eric - Schalke 04
NGUEMO Landry -
MOUKANDJO Benjamin - Stade Reims
ABOUBAKAR Vincent FC - Lorient/Porto
DONGOU Jean Marie FC - Barcelona
KWEUKE Léonard - Caykur Rizespor
N’JIE Clinton - O. Lyon
ETOUNDI Franck - FC Zurich

V- Waiting List
KOM Franck - Etoile Sportive du Sahel
MOUGANG MBASSOGOG - Lion Blessé de Foutouni
BANA MOUSSA - Coton Sport de Garoua
TABEKOU OUAMBE - Apéjes de Mfou
NLATE EKONGOLO Brice - O. Marseille