Cape Town: Samuel Eto’o (pictured) was named in Cameroon’s 25-man squad for next month’s World Cup play-off in Tunisia yesterday despite media reports saying he had retired from international football.
Cameroon’s long-standing captain announced he was quitting for “family reasons” in the dressing room after they beat Libya earlier this month to clinch a play-off berth, according to a report in L’Equipe.
He made no public announcement, however, and Cameroon coach Volke Finke shrugged it off, saying the 32-year-old Chelsea striker was the right man to lead the team in their bid to qualify for an African record seventh World Cup finals.
The talismanic striker has had a turmoil-filled career with the Indomitable Lions and made previous threats to quit the side. He played for Cameroon at the 1998, 2002 and 2010 World Cups.
Cameroon have named a strong squad for the first leg of the playoff at the Rades Stadium on the outskirts of Tunis on October 13.
Defenders Benoit Angbwa and Benoit Assou-Ekotto have been dropped while the French-based pair of Henri Bedimo and Edgar Salli and Malaga striker Fabrice Olinga are recalled.REUTERS
