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Not the best start! Cameroon head coach Rigobert Song struggles to pronounce the names of his players as he announces the final 26-man squad for Qatar just days after Samuel Eto’o tipped the side to WIN the World Cup
- Rigobert Song announced Cameroon’s selection at a press conference
- He had trouble pronouncing the names of some of the players in front of the media
- Comes days after Samuel Eto’o tipped the side to win the game in Qatar
Rigobert Song looked to be off to a strange start in Cameroon’s final World Cup preparations as he struggled to pronounce the names of several members of his squad when announcing his final 26-man roster.
Song, who announced the squad last week, who has appeared in four editions of the tournament for his country over 16 years and made 137 appearances for Cameroon, stumbled across a number of names with members of the media present – and his assistant coach, Augustine Simo – is forced to intervene at various intervals.
One of only two players in the squad to play in the country’s national league, Souaibou Marou proved to be the name Song struggled with the most.
Rigobert Song sulked over names when he announced the country’s squad for Qatar last week
The Cameroon national coach had to be assisted by his own assistant and various media outlets watching
‘Souaidabou,’ you heard him say at first before some commotion came from the press sitting in front of him.
Song then managed to get the verdict right and thanked the press for their help. Throughout the process, Cameroon’s head coach, who was only appointed earlier this year after Antonio Conceicao was ousted, seemed uneasy and looked to the right several times.
The press conference then took on a somewhat odd form, with Song appearing to um and argue over the names on the list for a few seconds before his assistant leaned forward to point to the piece of paper in front of him.
Flanked by his assistant manager, Song had to be helped with one name in particular
There is some speculation in the country that Song himself, who has only been in charge for six games, has not been selected for the squad.
“Strange to see a coach struggling with the names of players on his own list,” Sportnieuws Afrika wrote in response to the bizarre press conference.
TyC news speculated that Samuel Eto’o could have exerted undue influence over team selection.
The team has been tipped by the president of the Football Association, Samuel Eto’o, to go all the way to Qatar
Despite Song’s difficulties in pronouncing some names, Eto’o, who is president of the country’s football association, has set them high goals for the World Cup which starts in less than a week on November 20.
Eto’o told ESPN: “Africa has always had the potential to have a successful World Cup, but we haven’t always put on our best face so far.
“African teams have gained more and more experience over the years and I think they are ready not only to participate in a World Cup, but to win it.
‘Cameroon wins World Cup final against Morocco.’
Song’s side will likely have a tough job getting out of their group after being drawn in Group G with Switzerland, Serbia and Brazil.
Eto’o – the president of the Cameroon Football Federation – made the bold claim before the tournament kicked off in just over a week