Samuel Eto'o: "We need a burst of pride" in Africa facing the coronavirus

Audio 10:16

By: Laurent Correau Follow

RFI invites you to discover the view taken by one of the stars of the African continent, the former Cameroonian international footballer Samuel Eto'o, on the coronavirus pandemic. Its foundation has just driven a caravan of aid to the poorest people in Cameroon. Why this commitment, what lessons does the star learn from this epidemic personally and for the African continent? How does he see the near future of football competitions in Africa disrupted by the Covid-19? 

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What personal lesson do you draw from these long weeks of confinement ?

Samuel Eto'o : It is clear to me that with what happened, I will spend 60, 70 or even 80% of my time with my family ... because you can find yourself one fine morning without your child, without your wife, without even one of your parents. With what happened, we realized that there is nothing more important than the people we really love. Family, some friends, there is nothing more important than that.

Your Samuel Eto'o foundation has therefore just carried out a project to help the poorest populations in Cameroon. Concretely, what did you do ?

It was twofold. First, there was a need to raise awareness. And the second part was to accompany people so that they stay at home as much as possible. We were able to distribute rice, oil, gel, soap and even drinking water to allow our compatriots to survive, because in Africa, the informal sector is very large - it is even more important than the formal sector. People live day by day. And if people can't go out to make some money, they can't feed their families. So how are they going to do it?

The idea is to help people so that they are not enticed to go out. Is that it ?

Yes. And like that, protect against this virus .

So there is a caravan that passed through different cities in Cameroon…

A caravan that started in Douala, then Limbé, Buéa, Yaoundé and Bafoussam because these are the cities most affected by this virus .

What do you think is the lesson that humanity must learn from this pandemic ?

People need to understand that we are all human beings. Black, white, red, yellow, our concern was to save our lives. Faced with life, we understand that we all remain the same. Even the very wealthy were stranded and confined to their homes.

Me, my dream after all this is that this Africa really changes and that we are aware of the luck we have to live in this beautiful continent as rich. In Africa, we have a great story, but I believe that we can do much better without counting on others because, if you look, we are the richest continent, but paradoxically the poorest too. We need a burst of pride, we need to know how to get together. We will never agree, but the general interest is the general interest! The interest of our continent must take precedence over everything. We have to create a lot more jobs, give these young people the opportunity to work. I think this is the right thing to do. We must allow Africans who want to invest in our continent to have priority over certain things and to have advantages too, because we were born in this continent and it is normal that we come back and that we have certain advantages to be able to invest in our continent.

The African Nations Championship, Chan, which was scheduled to take place in April, has been postponed. The African Cup of Nations, CAN 21, scheduled for January, may also be postponed. How do you imagine the reprogramming of these two continental football competitions in your country ?

I don't want to get ahead of myself. I am adviser to the president [Ahmad] Ahmad [president of the African Football Confederation (CAF)] and I leave to the executive committee of CAF with its president the pleasure of announcing the next Chan and CAN program.

At least, are these subjects already being discussed ?

The African Football Confederation is a serious institution. And since then, she's only worked on that.

Will the party be less beautiful if the CAN is postponed ?

The party will always be beautiful. Cameroon is a unique country, it's a football country. The only regret I can have is that I cannot participate in this party as a football player. We were able to note with great joy all the efforts made by the Cameroonian government and the Cameroonian people by giving to all the sportsmen, to the lovers of the round ball of stadiums worthy of the stadiums of Europe. We have nothing to envy today in certain European countries. Today, my young brothers have these tools. We will do everything to make them ready to offer us one of the most beautiful cups in Africa ever organized. But the one that is beautiful for us will be the one that we will win.

What you are telling us is that, Covid or not, Cameroon will be ready for the CAN…

Cameroon will be ready for CAN. Cameroon already has everything to host a CAN.

Our selection on the coronavirus

• Listen to our daily chronicle  Coronavirus info

• The practical questions  :
→  What is known about the mode of contagion
→  disparities and inequalities in coronaviruses: what to remember
→  What outcomes for clinical trials?
→  A vaccine, the only solution to stem the pandemic?
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• Our series  : "  The response, country by country  "

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• See also the files of RFI Savoirs on the Covid-19:
→  Birth of a pandemic
→  Everyday life put to the test
→  The history of epidemics
→  Science facing the Covid-19
→  The geopolitical consequences

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