Guinea’s head coach Paulo Duarte looks on ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 African qualifiers Group E match between Guinea and Algeria, in Casablanca, Morocco, 08 September 2025. EPA/JALAL MORCHIDI
Friday Dec 19, 2025. 11:00
Guinea head coach Paulo Duarte hopes to see Cameroon lifting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy to honour the work of FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o.
Duarte’s Syli National failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON edition in Morocco and their new Portuguese coach has picked the favourites to win the biggest football tournament in Africa.
The 56-year-old tactician, who has coached African national teams Burkina Faso, Togo and Gabon, revealed his admiration for former Cameroon international Eto’o.
“I hope Cameroon wins the Africa Cup of Nations to reward Samuel Eto’o… If there were more leaders like him, African soccer would be at the top of the world,” Duarte told reporters.
“Samuel Eto’o deserves better results than he currently has, because he demands the maximum from his entire organisation and from everyone, always thinking about how to make his country win. Football should look to him as a benchmark in terms of leadership, professionalism, and knowledge.
“We need people like him: direct and forthright in their decision-making, patriotic, demanding, who know the reality of the dressing room and make difficult choices, always in the interests of the country and professionalism.”
Cameroon are one of the most successful teams in the history of the AFCON, having won five titles; only Egyot have won more trophies with seven.
Eto’o recently appointed local tactician David Pagou as the new Cameroon coach, replacing Belgian mentor Marc Brys.
The Indomitable Lions will face Gabon (December 24), Ivory Coast (December 28) and Mozambique (December 31) in Group F.