‘I wanted Cameroon to lose’ - Eto’o makes baffling World Cup claim despite Cameroon-Uzbekistan defeat

• Cameroon defeated 2-0 by Uzbekistan on Friday
• Yet Eto’o insists they’re aiming to reach the World Cup final
• Indomitable Lions face South Korea on Tuesday

WHAT HAPPENED? FECAFOOT President Samuel Eto’o has come out fighting after the Indomitable Lions were defeated 2-0 by Uzbekistan in Friday’s international friendly. The defeat represents a shock loss for the Central Africans, who are ranked 39 places above Uzbekistan in the Fifa World Rankings, although the legendary Cameroon striker has insisted that the five-time African champions are still aiming to reach the final of the upcoming World Cup.

WHAT THEY SAID: "We really wanted to see the reaction of the team, and for the first time—I hoped for Cameroon to lose. Our objective is still the same; to depart Qatar on the evening of December 18, the date of the World Cup final. We won’t lose sight of our objective,” Eto’o told CRTV.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The comments are the latest bizarre outpourings from Eto’o, who has previously criticised the Indomitable Lions in public, and also called for the national side to ‘declare war’ on Egypt during the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. Those comments came only days after eight people were killed during the Stade d’Olembe stadium disaster.

WHAT NEXT FOR CAMEROON? Despite defeating Algeria to qualify for the World Cup, Cameroon are up against it to reach the knockout stages, let alone go the distance and play in the final as Eto’o is targeting.

They’ve won just one match in their last five World Cup appearances, losing 10 of their 15 appearances during that period, including all six matches across their last two outings on the grandest stage of all.

Cameroon have been pitted against Switzerland, Serbia and Brazil in World Cup Group G this time around.

.