Stephane Mbia defends Eto’o

New Cameroon skipper Stéphane Mbia has come out in the defence of former captain Samuel Eto’o, whose recent international retirement is seen as a major reason for the team’s revival.

In the wake of a disastrous World Cup display in Brazil, the Indomitable Lions have kicked off their Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015 qualifying campaign with two back-to-back victories, including a 4-1 thrashing of Côte d’Ivoire in Yaoundé on Wednesday.

And in the absence of freshly retired Samuel Eto’o and many members of the ‘old guard’, and boosted by a new generation of talented youngsters, Cameroon had their best games in a very long time when they faced DR Congo and Côte d’Ivoire.

But while it appears clearly that the Indomitable Lions are better off without the Everton striker and his overwhelming influence on the national team, there is no causal relationship for Stéphane Mbia who has praised his former teammate.

“He is a very good player. He announced his retirement, and Cameroon are going to miss him a lot. He is a leader,” Mbia told RMC on Thursday.

“Many things have been said. He is a good person but we must accept him as he is. He has brought a lot to Cameroonian football.”