Cameroon captain Yves Moukoko has lauded the President of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto’o for his positive impact on the team at the 2022 African Nations Championship in Algeria.
The Indomitable Lions opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Congo on Monday, thanks to Jerome ngom Mbekeli’s decider in the 63rd minute.
Moukoko admitted that they feel positive in Algeria with Eto’o’s presence in their camp.
“He [Eto’o] was a great player and when we see him and listen to what he has to say, we are very positive,” Moukoko said on the CAF website CAF website.
“We are here to win. Everyone is expecting us to work hard, play good games and go as far as we can.”
Moukoko also believes that playing away from home is of an advantage as it puts them under less pressure compared to playing in front of their fans as they did at the last edition of CHAN in 2020 where they finished fourth.
“We have less pressure but for me, this is a new competition. We must concentrate. We have big ambitions and if we start well, we can go very far in this tournament,” the Yong Sports Academy centre-back said.
Cameroon boss Alioum Saidou meanwhile stated that playing in a three-team group puts them in a tricky situation and has to treat every game like a final.
“We are Cameroon. What is important for us is to play this match and win it. We have been preparing for some time and our players are looking forward to this,” Saidou explained.
“Of course, playing in a three-team group is tricky and every game is a final. We have a good team and we played friendly games to prepare before coming here so we are confident. We have no choice but to deliver for our fans.”
The Indomitable Lions are participating in their fifth CHAN tournament with two quarter-final exits (2011, 2018) their next best achievement after 2020.
