By Daily Sports on February 7, 2017

Let the feeling of utter embarrassment reign in their heads. May the spirit of refusal to heed the call of the fatherland bow in shame. May Cameroon’s Europe-based players who turned their backs on their country during the 2017 African Nations Cup (AFCON) concluded on Sunday in Libreville, Gabon, live to regret forever the missed opportunity of joining the millions in Yaoundé, Douala and the rest of Cameroon in celebrating the lofty feat of the Indomitable Lions’ brave players who defied the odds to win a fifth AFCON title for their country, beating Egypt 2-1 in a thrilling final in Libreville.

Cameroon’s preparation for the AFCON had looked quite chaotic. A lukewarm start in the world cup qualifiers after drawing their first two games and trailing Nigeria was followed by the embarrassment of seeing no less than eight top players refusing to obey Coach Hugo Broos’ call-up to the Nations Cup. The coach was forced by the unfortunate circumstances to focus on what players he had, and that turned out to be a super blessing.

The players who played for Cameroon surely wanted to be there. They wanted to fight for their country, they were prepared to pay the prize to make Cameroon great again. Their collective spirit and unity of purpose served as the basis (as it is with most great sides) for the coach to forge a winning tactical formula. Not for them the comfort of Europe when their country needed them. Not for them the flimsy excuses we get from players who prefer the coldest winter to the blazing sun. Now they are victors. They are African champions.

When the infamous eight Cameroonian players declined the invitation to the Nations Cup, it was a bad precedent set. A precedent of mass withdrawals from national football duty.

The absentees were Eric Chuopo-Moting of German German top side Schalke and Joel Matip of Premier League outfit Liverpool. Others were Andre Onana (Ajax Amsterdam) Guy Roland Ndy Assembe (Nancy), Allan Nyom (West Bromwich Albion), Maxime Poundje (Girondins Bordeaux), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Olympique Marseille) and Ibrahim Amadou (Lille).

Other African countries have had their issues with players refusing to play for their nations. Nigeria had the famous John Fashanu episode when the then English League top player turned his back on the country in the ’80s. But never have we seen as much as eight withdrawals in one fell swoop. Something had to happen to make these players and others of potentially like minds to see this as an unwise move and save African international football from sinking deeper into the doldrums of obscurity.

How fitting it is that the correction is coming from a team where the big malaise had arisen from. By their nations cup triumph, the Cameroonian team has reversed the joke and it is now on the absentee players. On a weekend when Cameronian players where making sweet history in Libreville, perhaps the most popular deserter, Joel Matip’s Liverpool were losing 0-2 at relegation battlers, Hull City.

The momentum is now with Cameroon as far as African football is concerned. Nigeria’s Super Eagles need to beware of the roaring Lions who have been truly indomitable at the AFCON.

Source Daily Sports

Posted February 7, 2017

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