As Africa Top Sports.com has reported that the African football star, the Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o Fils is in Guinea since Friday. He came to inaugurate a new center. He gave an exclusive interview to our correspondent.
Africatopsports: After two days of stay in Guinea, what are your thoughts today?
Samuel Eto’o: I still want to say thank you for having me in our country. It looks like I’m in Yaoundé or Douala. I saw it, I realized that what I was able to conclude in my career has been seen and enjoyed by many especially my African brothers. That means somewhere that I’ve done my homework. I certainly had a very good note. That’s why you wanted to be here today. You said earlier that I accepted the Guinean star Bobo Balde to be there. No! This is my brother. He’s a friend. Outside of football, we shared something else. It is true that in recent months, we got lost. I am very happy. I told the minister that you’d already asked in our country, I have not had the time to come. I am happy to come to our country. Thank you again.
Africatopsports: What motivates you to actually invest in Guinea in football at the base?
Samuel Eto’o: From Guinea, for those who know my story, I am convinced that Africa has the potential to win the World Cup tomorrow but that we must have some basis. We have a lot of luck because our moms made us have some talent, while Europeans learn football at football academies. however, we, we go to the streets to find ourselves in big stadiums. And I say Congratulations to all the children of Africa. When I had the opportunity to come here, I told myself that I just listen and see why not do tomorrow what I had to do in other African countries, a training center here. I think that if the level of African football increases, we will have more chance of having an African team in the future as world champion and I this is my wish. I still have a few years in football, but do not close your eyes, maybe I would not have the chance, I as a footballer, having the World Cup, which is the absolute dream of every footballer including our younger brothers. So, we must accompany their dream. I think the base, for me, is the most important.
Africatopsports: What is the nature of your interaction with the Sports Minister, Sanoussy Bantama Sow?
Samuel Eto’o: I have listened carefully to what his Excellency told me. We have had a very brief discussion but very important to me. I listened to the President as well, that i am congratulating again. I saw a magnificent stadium earlier and I hope that I may have the chance to play against my brothers. And the score may be 0-0. Congratulations! Continue to bring the dream of all the athletes at the highest possible. That’s all we ask dear brothers. We great brothers of these little brothers, we will try to make our contribution to your work to be easier, because nothing is easy. Do not think it’s really hard to manage; it’s really hard to support the dream of thousands of young people. I looked through the window of my room, I said to the Minister and on the beach, I saw young people playing football, and that’s fine. If we can put them in a more appropriate place, I think it will be ideal.
Africatopsports: Can we know the criteria for selecting the countries that benefit from your project? Regarding the specific case of Guinea, what is the cost of your investment? We also heard that you are threatened with death in Cameroon. What are the reasons?
Samuel Eto’o: I’d start with the first question and I will stop there, if you allow me dear brother. Often, the most important, remember that the dream has no price. And the most important to conduct any project is political stability. There should be peace in everything. We are in Conakry. If we want our children and brothers to dream, we need this stability that requires that peace so that these children can work in very good conditions. Know that your children are. These are our little brothers. And we have the duty to assist them because they are the ones who will represent our country tomorrow, our continent. Now to talk about price, it’s going very quickly. We’ll stop here today.
Africatopsports: You were earlier with the Head of State of Guinea, Alpha Condé, at the presidential palace. Certainly, you had exchanges. How did you find him?
Samuel Eto’o: Oh, I will not allow judging a Head of State. You will not ask me. But the people we had, it is in the same vein as the honorable Minister. We are all happy and excited to know that we can perhaps do something. And that’s the most important. Know that they will benefit from it; they are our little brothers or children. The President can but just be happy. That’s all!
Africatopsports: You move now in Russia. We know that you transfer the financial reports. Do you want to come back in another European Championship for more?
Samuel Eto’o: Already, to talk about Russia, happiness is everywhere. I was lucky; I dream and win a lot of titles in my career. I won virtually everything a player could dream of winning; I just miss the World Cup. I’m thirty-one years old today. My decision when I decided to go to Russia, it was to show every African with a dream, to work with lots of love in what we do, we can succeed. And I think financially, it was just the recognition of my work and my talent. After that, many have criticized hiding behind the idea that they liked me and wanted me to play the other side of Europe. But I will tell you that I got in a club that was almost enthousiast, today we’re going to play the second round of the Europa League. And that is my greatest victory because with some clubs, I won the Champions League; I won as the champion of Spain, the Spanish Cup, and World Cup of clubs. But imagine if this club to twelve months were to win Europa League, I do not think many players have, themselves, such a victory in their careers. Well, it was a deliberate choice. It is a choice to allow our young brothers dream but really because every time we want to compare ourselves, we compare between us. I want us to compare with others because in Africa there is not only AIDS, there is not only the disease. There are talents. There are people who reflect. There are people who have projects, people who have been successful, and people leading some projects that are at the same level as that of foreigners. I love our Africa. And I think our Africa has something to say, especially when we have talent. That’s why I went to Russia. And I’m happy to be there. I do not know if my career is going to stop there. Even if I could have played for many years in a few years, I will stop.
Africatopsports: Cameroon could not qualify at the last two African Nations Cups in football. Are you now able to qualify for the 2014 World Cup?
Samuel Eto’o: Regarding the Cameroon national team, we have very good players. But as you know, in all things, you need a good organization. You can have the best player in the world, if you do not have the best team, you will not win. Dian Bobo Balde can tell you that the real star is the team, not the players. We have been many great players, a lot of good players I mean, should this organization there, which will allow us to have these stars, which will be this team.
Africatopsports: Your latest project for a center was in Gabon. Any interest in Guinea?
Samuel Eto’o: I’ll correct it. My latest project is in Kenya, specifically in Nairobi where we will open another training center. As I said earlier, I am a child of Africa. I do not choose, I have no preference. Whether Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon, I am a child of Africa, I feel good all over. Today is Guinea, tomorrow will be another country. Do not ask, do not look to see the devil everywhere. This is done naturally. And I hope God will give me long life to bring this project in most African countries.
Africatopsports: Since you came here, you listened. What guarantee do you have the authority given to you to achieve your training center for young people?
Samuel Eto’o: Peace belongs to everyone. It is not a matter of the president or anyone else. I do not do politics and I would never do politics. And if I ever get mad to politics, stop me. I know how to play football and I think everyone has the gift of life. What I can do is football. I bring my expertise. And this, dear brothers, it belongs to us all. Peace. We all need peace to be happy, to think about eating. When there is no peace, it is complicated. I had the chance to travel to some countries that were at war, I can tell you, dear brothers; peace is the most precious in the world. It belongs to us all. This is not a case of the Head of State; it is also your case.
Africatopsports: I insist on the choice of Guinea. After Cameroon, Gabon and Kenya, choosing Guinea. Is the environment right for you to invest?
Samuel Eto’o: This is the first time I came in Guinea. Yesterday I visited a lot of things now, let me at least make my choice. Let me make my choice. I have traveled to a lot of countries in Africa and I can tell you that you should be proud of your country than elsewhere because there really is suffering, when we know the war, dear brethren, it is difficult.
Africatopsports: What advice would you give to young talents eager to succeed in football?
Samuel Eto’o: I do not have a magic potion. But I can calmly tell you about my life. And I think my career, we can say that I did, not the financial side that everyone is always but I played in the most beautiful stages, which was my dream. My dream when I was younger was that my parents can watch me on TV, I do not imagine that overnight, I could know the other madness that is to be poor and become rich. It’s really crazy, when you go to Africa where you’re too hungry, you miss a lot of things you get in Europe and you may present a contract where you earn perhaps fifty or a hundred million months, you say that money is not going to end, it is a folly for us. It really is a crazy because you have not experienced it, you find yourself overnight very rich. And you really believe to be the king of the world but I was lucky, I grew up in a family where my father always told me, defend your ideas when you think your ideas are good and struggle to get your story written. And I’ve always fought to write my story, to write my dream. My dream was to become a footballer, hope to become the best someday. And I worked for it. And I’ll tell you that the work is the magic of success. So work, work, and work.
Africatopsports: For subjective reasons, you do not have the Ballon d’Or, while you deserve. Is it not a victory for you when you’re the highest paid football player in the world?
Samuel Eto’o: You know that the Ballon d’Or is a choice. And if you look in this room, we are asked to choose the most beautiful woman; you will see that we will not have the same choice. It’s the same in football. But as I have told you that my salary is a victory for Africa. It is recognition to Africa. This means that there is talent in Africa. That’s it. There are many great players you know. Dian Bobo Balde is a great player. He knows the difficulties of our business. They do not give you a salary because you’re handsome. They give you because you will make a profit, because there have been a result and we know you can do certain things. That is why they give you some wages. But for me, it is recognition to Africa; it is a victory for Africa. I hope that young people who identify with us will say if this was successful, we too can succeed. And it’s true, they can succeed. For that, you must believe. We need others, we help them, we put them in the conditions, but I’m not going to play instead of these little brothers. I will not play the role of our son. They must play. They must know that to become a footballer, there are many sacrifices, many sacrifices. It should not be assumed to be rich, you must already be thinking about the best. And when you are among the best, you get the salary that goes with it. This is like that but if you think about making money, you’re not going to last long. We must have love for everything we do.
BAH ABDOULAYE