By Walter Wilson Nana
Samuel Fils Eto’o, the Cameroonian goal-poacher and offensive midfielder at Internazionale of Milan, Italy is on his way to a fourth crown of the Best Africa Player Award 2009. Within the CAF time frame of the award, the 2008/2009 football season in the African continent with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and professional football at FC Barcelona, “Eto’o had an outstanding football time,” comments Sports Journalist, Innocent Ndamsa Mbunwe of The Post Newspaper, Buea, Cameroon.
At the professional level, Eto’o grabbed four titles in Barça and across continental Europe. These included; the Spanish Kings Cup, the Spanish Queen’s Cup, the Spanish La Liga and the prestigious European Champions League. In the 2009 Euro Champions League final played at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, Eto’o at the Spanish La Liga Club, Barcelona, bashed England’s Manchester United 2 – 0, with Eto’o opening scores.
Besides making decisive contributions to the huge successes of Juan Laporta’s team, Barça, Eto’o came out the second highest goal scorer, in the Spanish League, with 31 goals to his credit.
In the African continent, Eto’o had a splendid start of the 2008/2009 football year. He beat the records of Ivorian Laurent Poku as the highest goal scorer in the history of the African Cup of Nations. He took off at the AFCON 2008 in Ghana, scoring 6 goals and will continue at AFCON 2010 in Angola, with two goals. Therefore Eto’o has scored 18 goals as a single player in the annals of the African Cup of Nations.
To the build up to the joint African Cup of Nations and World Cup 2010 eliminatories, in Angola and South Africa respectively, Eto’o, subsequently stepped in as the captain of the Lions of Cameroon. With this new found responsibilities and Cameroon tailing Group A in the beginning, Eto’o, contributed significantly in reversing the trend on the positive side for Cameroon. He scored some of the necessary goals that put Cameroon on the spotlight and eventual qualification for Angola and South Africa.
Unlike the other two contestants for the coveted trophy; Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba and Ghana’s Michael Essien, Cameroon’s Eto’o is on the pole position for another prestigious African football crown come Thursday, March 11 2010 at the Presidential Palace in Accra, Ghana. Let’s wait and see, with the hope that CAF respects the expected time frame.