Africa Cup of Nations

ETIENNE ETO’O proved that class runs in the family with an immaculate free-kick for Cameroon Under-20s.
As the son of Barcelona legend Samuel Eto’o, the 18-year-old has a lot to live up to but is already showing his skill.

Etienne Eto’o hit a free-kick from 25 yards with the score goalless

The player’s first goal for his country was met with an emotional response

On the weekend, Etienne made his debut for his country’s youth team and had an instant impact.
After only seven minutes of the game against Mozambique U20s, he struck a fantastic free-kick that beat the goalkeeper from 25 yards.
In celebration, the young Eto’o broke down in tears while being mobbed by team-mates.
At the end of the first-half, he swept home a penalty to double his tally in the eventual 4-1 win.

Having sat on the bench for Cameroon’s opening two games of the Africa U20 Cup of Nations, the teenager got his chance in the final group match as the team made it three wins from three.
Eto’o was born in Palma in 2002, during his dad’s four-year stint at Spanish club Mallorca, and is signed to Real Oviedo.
Samuel, 39, left the Balearic Islanders for Barcelona in 2004 and won three LaLiga titles and a pair of Champions Leagues with the Camp Nou giants while racking up 118 Cameroon caps.
Another Champions League arrived at Inter Milan and he enjoyed stints at Chelsea and Everton before retiring in 2019 with Qatar SC.

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I want to try and be better than my dad and I am always looking forward to stepping on the pitch and giving my best.
Etienne Eto’o

Etienne’s free-kick stunner was likened to a similarly fantastic set-piece goal from his dad for the Lions back in 2006.
The Eto’os are certainly an extensive footballing family with Samuel’s brothers David and Etienne also playing professionally.
And the young forward spoke of it being ‘natural’ for him to want to follow in their footsteps – and he is aiming to BEAT his dad’s prestigious record.
He told the Caf website: “I think sometimes it is natural that your father influences what you want to be in future.
“My father has played a huge role in my life and influenced me to take football as a career.
“For me, it doesn’t feel strange and it is nothing special really. I just have to enjoy who my dad is but also keep working hard for myself.

“There is always pressure in life whether or not you are the son of a famous person. But for me, I just try to enjoy my career and demonstrate to people that I can do it.
“My dad has played a huge influence in my life because I have always admired him and want to learn from him and continue in his steps. Always I want to be someone like him.
“I want to try and be better than him and I am always looking forward to stepping on the pitch and giving my best.
“Even though I know it is difficult to be better than my father, I want to work hard to achieve like him. He is always there to support me and give me advice.”
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ZIMBABWE have accused Cameroon of WITCHCRAFT after a dead bat was found on the pitch of their African Nations Championship opener.
The discovery was made before the game in Yaounde, which tournament hosts Cameroon won 1-0.

Zimbabwe boss Zdravko Logarusic accused Cameroon of WITCHCRAFT after finding a dead bat on the pitchCredit: Twitter

A photograph, via Goal, showed Zimbabwe’s Croatian boss Zdravko Logarusic kneeling next to the bat’s carcass, which was on the centre spot of the halfway line.
The tactician had a piece of paper next to the bat which read ‘Witchcraft in Cameroon’.
Whether it was intentional or not, Zimbabwe ended up suffering defeat at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in front of Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
Cameroon’s Salomon Banga popped up 18 minutes from time to score a winning overhead kick to send the quarter-full stadium of home fans into raptures.

But despite accusing Cameroon of witchcraft before kick-off, Logarusic was upbeat at the final whistle.
The Zimbabwe gaffer told Caf: “We will try our best to see how things go.
“We have tried our best as the technical team to give most players in the top flight a chance to prove themselves.
“We will certainly try our best. We need to improve in every area of the game and hopefully we will be in better shape as a team.

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Zimbabwe lost their opening African Nations match to the hosts 1-0Credit: Rex Features

“The players haven’t played football for eight, nine months and every aspect of their game needs to be improved.”
Incidentally, Cameroon were accused of dark arts at the 2002 Afcon before their semi-final with Mali.
Coach Winfried Schafer and goalkeeping coach Thomas Knono were both arrested after allegedly putting a charm on the field.

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ZIMBABWE have accused Cameroon of WITCHCRAFT after a dead bat was found on the pitch of their African Nations Championship opener.
The discovery was made before the game in Yaounde, which tournament hosts Cameroon won 1-0.

Zimbabwe boss Zdravko Logarusic accused Cameroon of WITCHCRAFT after finding a dead bat on the pitchCredit: Twitter

A photograph, via Goal, showed Zimbabwe’s Croatian boss Zdravko Logarusic kneeling next to the bat’s carcass, which was on the centre spot of the halfway line.
The tactician had a piece of paper next to the bat which read ‘Witchcraft in Cameroon’.
Whether it was intentional or not, Zimbabwe ended up suffering defeat at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in front of Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
Cameroon’s Salomon Banga popped up 18 minutes from time to score a winning overhead kick to send the quarter-full stadium of home fans into raptures.

But despite accusing Cameroon of witchcraft before kick-off, Logarusic was upbeat at the final whistle.
The Zimbabwe gaffer told Caf: “We will try our best to see how things go.
“We have tried our best as the technical team to give most players in the top flight a chance to prove themselves.
“We will certainly try our best. We need to improve in every area of the game and hopefully we will be in better shape as a team.

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Zimbabwe lost their opening African Nations match to the hosts 1-0Credit: Rex Features

“The players haven’t played football for eight, nine months and every aspect of their game needs to be improved.”
Incidentally, Cameroon were accused of dark arts at the 2002 Afcon before their semi-final with Mali.
Coach Winfried Schafer and goalkeeping coach Thomas Knono were both arrested after allegedly putting a charm on the field.

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ZIMBABWE have accused Cameroon of WITCHCRAFT after a dead bat was found on the pitch of their African Nations Championship opener.
The discovery was made before the game in Yaounde, which tournament hosts Cameroon won 1-0.

Zimbabwe boss Zdravko Logarusic accused Cameroon of WITCHCRAFT after finding a dead bat on the pitchCredit: Twitter

A photograph, via Goal, showed Zimbabwe’s Croatian boss Zdravko Logarusic kneeling next to the bat’s carcass, which was on the centre spot of the halfway line.
The tactician had a piece of paper next to the bat which read ‘Witchcraft in Cameroon’.
Whether it was intentional or not, Zimbabwe ended up suffering defeat at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in front of Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
Cameroon’s Salomon Banga popped up 18 minutes from time to score a winning overhead kick to send the quarter-full stadium of home fans into raptures.

But despite accusing Cameroon of witchcraft before kick-off, Logarusic was upbeat at the final whistle.
The Zimbabwe gaffer told Caf: “We will try our best to see how things go.
“We have tried our best as the technical team to give most players in the top flight a chance to prove themselves.
“We will certainly try our best. We need to improve in every area of the game and hopefully we will be in better shape as a team.

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Zimbabwe lost their opening African Nations match to the hosts 1-0Credit: Rex Features

“The players haven’t played football for eight, nine months and every aspect of their game needs to be improved.”
Incidentally, Cameroon were accused of dark arts at the 2002 Afcon before their semi-final with Mali.
Coach Winfried Schafer and goalkeeping coach Thomas Knono were both arrested after allegedly putting a charm on the field.

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RIYAD MAHREZ scored an outrageous goal in Monday’s thrilling African Cup of Nations qualifier against Zimbabwe.
Already leading 1-0 at the time, the Manchester City winger, 29, showed off every morsel of his class to double his side’s lead.

Riyad Mahrez showed off his incredible first touch as he scored a stunning goal for AlgeriaCredit: beIN Sports

After snuffing out a Zimbabwe attack, the ball fell to West Ham star Said Benrahma deep in Algeria’s half.
Benrahma pinged a millimetre-perfect cross-field ball to Mahrez on the right-wing.
The ex-Leicester ace controlled the ball beautifully with a soft flick off his heel.
Mahrez then turned his defender not once, but twice to create some room.

He then rifled home an unstoppable strike with his weaker, right foot to give Algeria a commanding 2-0 lead just 38 minutes into the game.
However, Zimbabwe came storming back from the dead, with Knowledge Musonda getting a goal back moments before the break.
The comeback was complete on 82 minutes after Prince Dube – only on the pitch a matter of seconds – grabbed the all-important equaliser.
Algeria are the reigning Afcon champions, having beaten Senegal 1-0 in the 2019 final.

Mahrez turned his man twice to create space and fire home a powerful shotCredit: beIN Sports

And they are still in good shape to have another run at glory this year – comfortably top of their qualifying group.
The draw against Zimbabwe saw them drop their first points of the campaign, winning their previous three – but was still enough to ensure they qualified for the tournament proper.
Algeria now sit five points clear of Zimbabwe in second, with games against Zambia and Botswana to come.

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SADIO MANE missed an open goal as Senegal beat Guinea-Bissau 1-0.
The Liverpool superstar took the ball off team-mate Boulaye Dia’s foot after the Reims striker had rounded the goalkeeper.

Boulaye Dia rounds the Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper

Sadio Mane takes the ball off of his team-mate’s foot with the goal gaping

The Liverpool star gets his first-time effort horribly wrong

The ball hits the side netting and the score stays 0-0

But Mane could only find the side netting with his first-time effort.
Mane made up for his howler by scoring an 82nd-minute winner to book Senegal’s place at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.
Cutting in from the left, Mane exchanged passes with Habib Diallo before poking the ball past Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Jonas Mendes.
The goal was Mane’s 21st for the Lions of Teranga.

He is now just eight goals behind ex-Wolves and Wigan striker Henri Camara’s record of 29 for his country.
Mane was also on the scoresheet against Guinea-Bissau when the two sides’ met on Wednesday in the reverse fixture – a 2-0 win for Senegal.
Sunday’s victory made it four wins from four for Aliou Cisse’s side in AFCON qualifying.
They became the first team to qualify for the continental showpiece after hosts Cameroon.

Mane later recovered from his miss to score his nation’s winner

The tournament was originally set to be played in January and February 2021 but was pushed back due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The final two rounds of qualifying will be played in March 2021.
Algeria are the defending champions after beating Senegal in the final of the 2019 edition.

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