Cameroon international Fabrice Ondoa believes Rigobert Song could have contributed to the national team despite their poor performance at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Song relinquished his role following a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast early 2024. Cameroon were eliminated from the AFCON in the last 16 by Nigeria in January.
The former Cameroon star took on the role in February 2022. While he played a pivotal role in securing Cameroon’s qualification for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the team’s performance in the recent 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competitions fell short of expectations.
“Rigobert Song could still have contributed a lot to this team,” Ondoa remarked, as reported by Afrik-foot, recalling how under Song’s leadership, he regained his starting position.
Meanwhile, Ondoa has dismissed rumors that Song was influenced by Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) President Samuel Eto’o in making team decisions.
He further recounted how Cameroon’s victory in a dramatic encounter in Blida, Algeria, guaranteed their place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a moment that delighted the whole nation.
He said that rather than interfering, Eto’o’s actions at that period, such as joining the players on the field during practice, were seen as motivating.
“I don’t understand why people now claim that Eto’o dictated his decisions just because he supported the team visibly,” Ondoa said, despite the fact that many detractors said that the Song era had ended after AFCON 2023.
