Samuel Eto'o, the president of the Cameroon Football Federation, revealed the Cameroonian resentment towards the Egyptian national team ahead of the anticipated match between the two teams on Thursday (23:00 UAE time) in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. He urged the players of the "Indomitable Lions" to win and seize the opportunity that must not be missed on their home ground, in front of their fans, as he put it. Social media users circulated a video of the Cameroonian football legend in a session with his national team players, motivating them to exert extra effort to defeat Egypt, led by the third-best player in the world, Mohamed Salah. He said: "Everything you have done comes down to Thursday's match; prepare with the same mentality because it's a war... a war... you must play this game like a war," adding, "You cannot let this opportunity slip away; that is impossible."
Cameroon advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Gambia 2-0, while Egypt overcame Morocco 2-1. Both teams are considered leading contenders for the tournament title.
It is noteworthy that Egypt and Cameroon have faced each other 27 times, with the "Pharaohs" winning 15 matches, compared to 6 losses and 6 draws. In the Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt has met Cameroon 13 times, winning 7 matches. The two teams have also faced each other in the Africa Cup of Nations final three times, in 1986, 2008, and 2017. Egypt won the continental title against Cameroon in 1986 and 2008, while the title in 2017 went to Cameroon.
