Against all odds, Cameroon coach, Winnie Schaefer says he will fight like a German to see his contract through to 2006. Schaefer is worried that the main problem disturbing his team is indiscipline. He calls for each individual staff to be preoccupied with his bit rather than take up the job of others. Schaefer negates media reports linking him to the Scotland job and remained convinced that Cameroon keeps it chances of reaching the 2006 World Cup finals and he wants to be still coach.
What is your reaction to fans and the press who want you to resign?
I have a contract that runs until the 2006 World Cup finals. I think we still have a chance to participate in that competition. But to get there we must work together.
But Cameroonians are not happy with the results of your team.
I am not happy with the result too. I think we lost vital two points in our last World Cup qualifier against Sudan. We were supposed to win that game to better our chances, but we instead drew.
You also realised that our team was not complete. Samuel Eto’o was absence and Pius Ndeifi got injured. We lost vital two points.
What will you then do to improve on the result of the team?
What we need in the Cameroon team is discipline, not only for the players, but also for the staff. It is not normal that Samuel Eto’o calls the administrative coordinator to tell him that he will not come to Yaounde and the coordinator says yes. It is only the coach who can grant a player leave or permission, no other person in the team.
That is the problem in Cameroon. People leave their work to take up the job of another person. And this did not start today. After the qualifier against Ivory Coast in Yaounde, Eto’o said he will not play for Cameroon again. Why? Because there are too many problems. Apart from this we have a very good team.
Do you feel some people are intervening in your duty?
I just want to say this: If we all work together, each doing his part, then we will succeed. If those who work with me do not turn their backs to work against me, then we keep our chance of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. But if there are people around who think they can do things their way, then we will not qualify for the World Cup.
Given all these problems have you never thought of resigning?
I am a German and I will fight to the end. I fight for my team and to qualify for the World Cup. Before the friendly game against Germany in Leigzip on 17 November, we will have a meeting together – minister Etame Massouma, Mr Mohammed Iya (FECAFOOT President), the players and the staff – and I think that many issues will be ironed out. After this meeting I think all will understand that I have to work for Cameroon.
Do you have any particular problems with some of your players?
One of the other problems we have with the team is that Rigobert Song seems to carry all the work of leading the players on his shoulder alone. In the past there were Marc Vivien Foe, Raymond Kalla and Patrick Mboma as pillars. Now it is Song alone and I think it is a lot of work for him.
I hope that after the match in Germany Samuel Eto’o will be able to come up and help Song play this role. Eto’o has to become a pillar of the team.
You are being several months of pay. Does this not disturb you?
The foundation of success is discipline. The staff and players have to be disciplined. For example, the players understood that I was owed my pay for many and they raised it in a meeting. But they were not listened to. So we can talk about discipline in a team, when the staff is not discipline.
The players are aware of the way they are treating me. They know about the administrative problems I am facing. But those who are supposed to handle these problems are not doing their job. I am very much engaged in doing my job and completely my contract. I love Cameroon, the players and the players know that I do my job with dedication.
I hope after the meeting in Leipzig, things will change and there will be a new impulse and spirit in the team.
Faced with too many problems have you ever thought of resigning?
The contract is between two parties. I can not talk about the actions of the other party. I what I know is that I will have to carry my contract right to the end. But I must precise that any body who is working against me is working against the country Cameroon and the team.
Are you interested in coaching Scotland as it has been reported in the media?
My job is in Cameroon. For almost one year today, there have been several media reports linking me to several countries. It has been Egypt and so and so. I have a lot of problems, but I must work for Cameroon. I have a contract until 2006. I am sure about that.
By Martin Etonge in Yaounde
