Samuel Eto'o thinks Cameroon will win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
Samuel Eto'o thinks Cameroon will pull off the biggest upset in World Cup history on December 18 when they beat underdogs Morocco in an all-African final.
The former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea striker, who was elected president of the Cameroon Football Federation last year, played in four World Cup tournaments during a 17-year international career with the Indomitable Lions.
He would ultimately fail to reach the knockout stages of the tournament with his nation, but he believes the current crop of Cameroon stars can go far in this winter's tournament.
In fact, Eto'o predicts Rigobert Song's side will beat Morocco in the final to lift world football's biggest prize.
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In an interview with ESPN, the 41-year-old made some bold predictions as to how Cameroon and Morocco will progress in the coming weeks.
"Africa has always had the potential to achieve a successful World Cup, but we haven't always shown our best face up to now," Eto'o said.
"During the years, African teams have acquired more and more experience, and I think they're ready not only to participate in a World Cup, but also to win it."
Eto'o says Walid Regragui's Morocco side will beat Portugal, Spain and France on the way to the final. Cameroon, meanwhile, will overcome Belgium in the quarter-finals before beating Senegal in an all-African semi-final.
He confirmed: "Cameroon will win the World Cup final against Morocco."
Eto'o has asked Cameroon to take inspiration from his former side Inter Milan, who defied the odds in 2010 when they beat the much-favoured Bayern Munich to lift a historic Champions League under Jose Mourinho.
"I don't see why we can't win," he told FIFA ahead of their opener against Switzerland on 24 November.
"I believe that to win the World Cup you don't need to be monsters or aliens, you just need good preparation, a strong mentality, and a pinch of madness.
"I always take Inter as an example: No one at the start of 2009/10 thought we could win the Champions League, but Mourinho did something crazy, with a group of men and warriors.
"I want the same thing as that for Cameroon as well."
In addition to his bold World Cup final prediction, Eto'o says host country Qatar will "surprise" a few teams with their quality.
It has been quite an eventful few weeks for the former Barcelona striker, who recently claimed that former teammate Thierry Henry was "not on my level" as a player.
In fact, Eto'o says the former Arsenal striker was not as impressive as his international teammate, Nicolas Anelka.
"I think he was not at the level of Nicolas Anelka. Thierry Henry was good, but I knew players... I preferred other players," said Eto'o, as reported by French publication Foot Mercato.
"In any case, he was not at my level. The luck or the bad luck that I had me, was not to play for France.
"Those who played in France had plus 70 per cent. It's not because they were strong, but because France sells them better. They sold them to us and brought them up to our level..."
Thoughts on his World Cup predictions? Can Cameroon go and win it?
Let us know in the comments.
Topics: Samuel Etoo, Cameroon, Football World Cup, Africa Cup Of Nations
Jack Kenmare