AFCON
VIDEO: ETO’O PAYS GLOWING TRIBUTES TO HIS HOME TOWN IN A CNN DOCUMENTARY
In a CNN special airing Samuel Eto’o, who is often regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time, invited the global network on a rare trip to his hometown of Douala, Cameroon.
CNN’s African Voices Changemakers accompanied Eto’o through the district of New Bell, where he spent formative years in Douala.
Eto’o explained how much his neighbours helped shape his career before he left for Real Madrid at the age of 16.
In the programme, the residents of New Bell formed a human chain around Eto’o as he discussed how he avoided the local prison to instead follow his dream of a career in professional football.
Following his retirement last year, the Cameroonian legend reflected on his many achievements in the game, which included spells at FC Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea. Eto’o also outlined his plans for life after football, including his role in mentoring the next generation of footballers in Cameroon.
Click here to watch the full programme:
Now adapting to his new role off the pitch, Eto’o explained how he is using his fame to help the lives of Douala’s residents. CNN joined Eto’o for a tour of Douala’s largest public hospital, where he has funded a new children’s ward.
Here is excerpts of CNN discussion with Eto’o
Eto’o on returning to his neighbourhood of New Bell in Douala:
“I grew up in the hands of people you saw yesterday. Some are my paternal uncles and others are elders are in the neighbourhood who took care of me in my teens; who would advise me because they felt I had something, and I could get out. It is from here that I left directly to Real Madrid. Directly from here, this is where my life changed. If we go a little further, we will see that the Central Prison is nearby. It seemed more likely that I would end up in that prison.”
Eto’o on retiring from football after more than two decades in the game:
“I felt accomplished. You know I had a very good time, I could still play two seasons, why even three because I was still in shape. But I had already done full circle [sic]; my passion whenever I went to train or went to a match was still intact. But at some point, I asked myself: ‘If I cannot serve football differently, that I can be able to take care of myself and spend more time with my family?’”
Eto’o on what he considers to be the highlight of his career:
“The African who went from nowhere to the top… That is my greatest pride because the success rate for an African in this world is 0.0001%. And from where I started, to get to the point where you are considered one of the biggest in your domain, I tell myself, I am proud, I can walk head held high because I came a long way to get here and I made it.”
Eto’o on seeing his neighbours in Douala for the first time in years:
“The fact that those young children, those grandparents, those parents came out to tell me ‘My son, thank you for dropping by,’ warmed my heart and for me it was also a way to tell them that ‘Even if you do not see me very often, I am here. You are a great part of my life; my body and I’ll always be there for you.’… It is not easy to always have people cheering you. The good fortune that I have is that everywhere I go people have the feeling that I belong to them.”
Eto’o on life after football and the children’s ward he has built at Douala’s Laquintinie Hospital:
“I think that is the purpose of my life. To contribute to the development of our society by helping the state and Cameroonians to have a building where people can come and say: ‘Here we can go home in good health’. I say there is no better goal than that.”
Eto’o on nurturing the next generation of Cameroonian players:
“What I can be today is a mentor. The journey they are about to do – with a lot of luck – we did. So, what we can do today is to give advice and to be beside them, because at this age there are a lot of doubts. At certain periods of their career, there would be doubts, questions and this is where they can rely on us for quick responses to get them out of these doubts.”
French journalist Romain Molina has claimed that interference influenced proceedings in a high-profile case involving Morocco and Senegal, handled by the Confederation of African Football.
In a video clip circulating online, Molina rejected accusations that he holds anti-Moroccan views, insisting instead that the facts available to him point to developments that, at one stage, went against Morocco’s interests.
“I’m telling you, in the first instance, there was interference against Morocco… I stand by it,” Molina said, adding that his position is based on what he described as behind-the-scenes information.
Molina revealed the existence of a message allegedly sent by Augustin Senghor, President of the Senegalese Football Federation and a member of CAF’s Executive Committee, to CAF President Patrice Motsepe prior to the appeals committee’s decision.
According to Molina, Senghor expressed concern over reports of a “secret meeting” that was allegedly aimed at influencing the case in favour of Morocco and against Senegal.
The journalist argued that the message raises serious questions about internal dynamics within CAF, suggesting that Motsepe could not claim ignorance of tensions within the governing body if such communication had indeed been received.
Molina also pointed to what he described as a contradiction in Senghor’s position—raising concerns privately while remaining publicly silent on the alleged meeting.
“On one hand, he warns about a secret meeting… on the other, he does not come out publicly to explain what he knows,” Molina said, questioning why such claims have not been openly addressed.
While the claims have sparked debate within football circles, there has been no official confirmation from CAF regarding the alleged interference or the existence of any secret meeting.
The case itself, which has already generated significant attention across African football, continues to highlight concerns over governance, transparency and decision-making processes within the continental body.
Molina’s remarks are likely to intensify scrutiny on CAF’s disciplinary and appeals procedures, particularly at a time when African football governance is under increasing global attention.
Whether the allegations will prompt further investigation or official clarification remains to be seen, but the controversy has once again brought internal decision-making within CAF into sharp focus.
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South Sudan delivered a dominant display to thrash Djibouti 4-0 in their Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 Preliminary Round first-leg encounter in Juba on Thursday, taking a firm grip on the tie ahead of the return leg.
Keer Majak was the standout performer, scoring once and providing two assists in a commanding all-round display that underlined South Sudan’s superiority and attacking intent.
The hosts set the tone early, controlling possession and pressing aggressively in search of an opener. Their breakthrough came in the 31st minute when Justin Bangasi teed up Teng Kuol, who finished confidently to give South Sudan a deserved lead.
Despite being under sustained pressure, Djibouti managed to limit further damage before the interval, trailing 1-0 at halftime and still harbouring slim hopes of a comeback.
However, any resistance quickly faded after the restart as South Sudan raised the tempo. Bangasi doubled the advantage in the 49th minute, finishing off a well-worked move orchestrated by Majak.
Majak continued to dictate proceedings and turned provider again in the 66th minute, setting up Peter Manyang to make it 3-0 and effectively put the contest beyond reach.
The forward then crowned his outstanding performance with a goal of his own in the 81st minute, sealing an emphatic victory for the home side.
The result leaves Djibouti with a daunting task in the return leg, as they must produce an exceptional performance to overturn the heavy deficit.
With both legs scheduled to be played in Juba, South Sudan will be confident of completing the job and advancing to the next stage of the qualifiers, where six teams will secure places in the group phase of the AFCON 2027 campaign.
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Eritrea marked their long-awaited return to continental football with a 2-0 victory over Eswatini in the first leg of their preliminary round clash in the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers on Wednesday.
Playing in Meknes, Morocco, the Eritreans secured a late win to take a strong advantage into the return leg next week.
After a closely contested encounter, Eritrea broke the deadlock in the 81st minute through Siem Eyob-Abraha, whose corner kick evaded everyone in the box and went straight into the net.
The victory was sealed deep into stoppage time when talisman Ali Suleiman produced a moment of brilliance. The forward embarked on a dazzling run down the left before unleashing a powerful shot into the roof of the net to double Eritrea’s lead.
Despite their win, Eritrea could have extended their advantage earlier, but Suleiman missed from the penalty spot after Eswatini goalkeeper Mlamuli Makhanya dived low to his right to make a crucial save.
The match marked Eritrea’s first appearance in AFCON qualification in nearly two decades, with their last outing coming against Eswatini in 2007, where they finished second in their qualification group.
The two sides will meet again in Eswatini for the second leg on Tuesday, where Eritrea will aim to protect their lead and advance to the next stage.
The winner of the tie will progress from the preliminary round to join 42 other teams in the group phase of qualification.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, marking the tournament’s return to East Africa for the first time in over 50 years.
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