’Football is not about war, it’s about celebration’ - Egypt coach Queiroz starts slams Cameroon's Eto'o for recent comments
Johannesburg - Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz has taken exception to former Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o saying the two sides’ Africa Cup of Nations semi-final clash on Thursday will be like war.
Eto’o, now the head of the Cameroon Football Association (Fecafoot), used the word war in a message to the current national team in reference to their last-four clash in Olembe. Eto’o was speaking to the team after their 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Gambia, in a video posted by Fecafoot on its official Facebook page.
"We have one objective, our next (game), it's Thursday,” Eto’o said.
"Everything you've done, you need to capitalise on it. Prepare yours, because it will be a war, my guys, a war. That's how you have to get fired up for this one, a war."
Queiroz did not accept that the 40-year-old former Barcelona striker was attempting to rally his side to give their best ahead of the contest.
The 68-year-old Queiroz said: ”It’s a very unfortunate comment, a very bad approach, a very bad message to the people of Cameroon.
"To make this declaration of war before one game [shows he] didn't learn anything when he was in professional football.
"Football is not about war. Football is about celebration, it's about joy, it's about happiness.”
ALSO READ: We need to go all the way and win it, says Sadio Mane’ after helping Senegal reach Afcon final
In reference to the stampede at the Olembe Stadium on January 24 in which eight people died, Queiroz said the timing of the Eto’o comments were in poor taste.
"He forgot that people died at the stadium [a few] days ago.”
ALSO READ: CAF cracks the whip on ex-Pirates coach Roger da Sa after 'up yours' sign at Afcon
The Egyptian coach also urged the Confederation of African Football to take action