Samuel Eto'o responds to criticism of his presence in the Indomitable Lions' dressing room

The president of the Cameroonian Football Federation was keen to set the record straight in the face of recurring criticism.

For the former Indomitable Lions striker, this debate is unnecessary. Samuel Eto'o emphasises that, as president of Cameroon's football governing body, he is the national team's foremost defender. For him, beyond emotional ties, it is a personal obligation to help the team perform.

Already, I am being criticised for causing disruption in the dressing room, which is a false argument. It's just absurd. There are people who write every day, saying he did this, he did that. I am the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation. I am the first to defend this team. Beyond the love I have for this country, my job is to protect this team, to know and control everything that happens from start to finish in order to manage it better, because this team is part of my remit. But I also have 30 million Cameroonians who want to say they know football, who are players, who are coaches in their spare time and who have criticised. I don't want to be a nuisance. I want to be an elder who has been through this journey, who knows failure and victory and who can be a good advisor to others. I made mistakes when I played, mistakes that I wouldn't want others to make. At the end of the day, I just want this team to have the values that we want to see in our society: discipline, hard work, discipline.