Samuel Eto’o, president of FECAFOOT, and Rigobert Song, former Cameroon head coach, visited the U23 Lions in Odza on Wednesday 4 November 2026, ahead of the first match of the qualifying campaign for the U23 AFCON Egypt 2027 in Kigali, against Rwanda.
The Indomitable Lions U23 had visitors in Odza. On Wednesday 4 November 2026, Samuel Eto’o and Rigobert Song went to see the squad, according to Lebledparle. The visit comes before the trip to Kigali, where Guy Armand Feutchine’s team, with Feutchine as head coach, play their first match of the qualifying campaign for the U23 AFCON Egypt 2027 against Rwanda.
The visit comes at a delicate moment: the technical staff’s preparation has been marked by difficulties, the nature of which is not specified by Lebledparle. In front of the players, the FECAFOOT president above all set out the target.
“We have to win it”
Eto’o’s message came down to one sentence: “We respect Rwanda, but we have to win it.” A clear target for a team that has not yet played in these qualifiers and opens its campaign away from home.
Eto’o also recalled Rigobert Song’s career to urge the players to extend the story of those who came before them: “I came with the Captain, someone who wrote history. A history that you have to take on and continue.”
Difficulties to resolve
The visit also provided an opportunity to address the difficulties encountered during preparation, without their nature being specified. Still according to Lebledparle, Eto’o spoke directly to the head coach: “Measures will be taken to resolve all the problems you have had so far. You can be calm, Mr Head Coach.”
FECAFOOT’s national technical director, Engelbert Mbarga, joined Eto’o and Song for the ritual at the start of training. Full-back Henri Hiobi Ntola, for his part, led the national team’s war cry before the single training session scheduled that day in Odza.
On to Kigali
The date is set: Cameroon U23 face Rwanda U23 in Kigali, in their opening match of the qualifying campaign for the U23 AFCON Egypt 2027. The source does not specify the exact date of the match.