Cameroon faced several challenges in the lead-up to and during the CAN 2013 qualification, leading to their absence from the tournament. One notable crisis involved a conflict between Samuel Eto’o and Rigobert Song. Eto’o downplayed the comparison, stating, “There is no conflict between two stars since there is only one. I am among the best players in the world. Song is not even among the best players in Cameroon.” This led to repercussions, including Eto’o’s exclusion from the squad and the removal of his captain’s armband, which was given to Nicolas N’Koulou.
In the first leg against Cape Verde in the CAN qualifiers, Cameroon suffered a 2-0 defeat. To address the issues, the Cameroon Football Federation replaced coach Denis Lavagne with Jean Paul Akono. Efforts were made to reconcile Eto’o and Song, including meetings with the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic. Despite attempts to turn things around, Cameroon failed to qualify for the 29th edition of the CAN in South Africa. The situation was considered a significant miss for the 2012 Awards title, given Cameroon’s status as a football powerhouse with numerous star players.
