By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@Bildbyran.
Cameroon football legend and Cameroonian Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o believes the Africa Cup of Nations must take place in January.
With the Africa Cup of Nations set to start in less than one month,several rumours surged suggesting that the tournament might be postponed or even canceled.
The rumours have only gotten stronger as FIFA president Gianni Infantino backed the idea of postponement, believing it would be better if the AFCON is played in September.
However, both CAF and Cameroonian Football Federation presidents Patrice Motsepe and Samuel Eto’o believe there is no reason to postpone the tournament.
Motsepe previously stated that he’s optimistic and excited about the tournament, expressing pride in African football.
Eto’o further confirmed the same notion, claiming that there is no good reason to postpone the Africa Cup on Nations.
I do not see a convincing reason to postpone the Africa Cup of Nations, the Euro was played during the pandemic with full stadiums,” Eto’o said.
“They played in many cities in Europe, so why shouldn’t we play in Cameroon? If some think we should postpone the tournament, they need to give a good reason.”
“All over the world there are competitions with challenges but we have to be more optimistic because sometimes we are over critical of ourselves.
“If we’re not going to have confidence in what we do, who’s going to have confidence in us?
“This is the generation where Africans must believe in Africans. We can host a football competition that’s as good as you can see in Europe and the world.”
The Africa Cup of Nations is set to begin on the 9th of January of 2022 after having skipped a year due to Covid-19 disruption.
It is Africa’s showpiece competition, consisting of 24 teams battling it out to be crowned the ultimate continental champions.
The competition was originally set to be played in June and July 2021, but the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) stated that due to the hot climate during the summer months, the tournament would be played in January and February 6.