Cameroon, five-time champions of the Africa Cup, play tomorrow for a place in the round of 16 of the current edition of the tournament, which will be held in the Ivory Coast. With one point in two games after drawing against Guinea (1-1) and losing against current champions Senegal (3-1), The ‘relentless lions’ just need to beat Gambia, bottom with two losses.
“They gave me up for dead but I’m alive, I’m here,” he said now. Rigobert Song, Cameroon coachon the eve of the crucial match to be held in Boauké.
A stroke that led to a coma
The legendary former captain of the ‘indomitable lion’, whose shirt he defended in 137 matches and won two African Cups, referred to these words in the episode he experienced in October 2016 when he was in a coma after a stroke .
“I stay ‘focused’, I know where I want to go, nature has reasons and “God decides, but I think tomorrow we will pass,” Song said in a press conference.
A journalist reminded him of his record of eight losses, seven draws and just six wins since taking office in March 2022 and asked him if he was up to the task. “We are rebuilding, Give me a little more time and I might go.” Song answered without anger.
‘Rigo’ responded to another question about the pressure weighing on his shoulders, as he is heavily criticized in Cameroon for his team’s poor performance at the 2023 Africa Cup.
“I’m someone special, I don’t panic”
“First of all, I’m special, I don’t panic, I’m not stressed,” he responded. “I listen, I understand the criticism, I know what I have to do, I stay calm. They know me, my players, I stay lucid, I just tell them: ‘Do your job.’
“I’ve had pressure since I was young, I know the pressure as a player,” Song continued. “It’s part of the game: win, you’re strong; lose, you’re bad. I don’t fit into that game.” And he declared: “I trust my players, we will get it.”
Onana is with but Aboubakar is still gone
After missing Cameroon’s first game due to playing Manchester United the previous day, Goalkeeper André Onana could not avoid defeat against Senegal on his debut in the current edition of the Africa Cup and tomorrow he will try to reach the round of 16. On the other hand, the forward Vincent Aboubakar, another of the team’s stars, He is not yet available after arriving injured in Ivory Coast.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
