There is one thing to be said for Mr. Akono : unlike Madame Tussaud’s, the coach’s wax museum had some pulse in the Mfandena ravine. His ragtag bunch of pussyfooters, has-beens, one exceptional player and two or three decent ones did what they could. It was not that great, I must admit, but it was quite pleasant at times, even though overall it was pussy football, pure and simple. Which is what you would expect from pussyfooters.
There is another thing about Mr. Akono : he has no clue. Granted, the man has very little talent to tap, and he had to win a game and, hopefully, secure the Lions’ qualification. As national coach, Mr. Akono’s job, I understand, is not to cater to the future of football in Cameroon. His only interest and objective are to win games, no matter what. By calling to the national squad at least three players who have no legitimate claim to any spot on any decent national side worldwide, Mr. Akono has indicated that he wants to survive and, ultimately, get a permanent job.
Any national coach who keeps Mr. Idrissou on the pitch for 45 minutes during a crucial international encounter should be sacked; any national coach who keeps Mr. Webo for 90 minutes on the same pitch should be fired and banned for life. Mr. Akono does not know better that what he has shown.
He would be bad for the job of national coach at this point in time. Now that our football is in the doldrums, there is no need to hurry. We need somebody with a keen eye for the future. Mr. Akono is not that somebody.
Leonidas Ndogkoti
