adminKUFSTEIN. — Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon’s other World Cup soccer stars are locked in a battle with their federation over bonuses for the tournament, Press reports said.The African team, who will be playing in their seventh finals in Brazil, beat Macedonia 2-0 in a warm-up match in Austria on Monday.
Back home the players face mounting Press criticism over their wage demands.
The Cameroon government last week offered 61 000 euros, which the players rejected and then increased it to 68 000 euros, which was also turned down, Cameroon daily Le Jour reported.
Le Jour said the players were demanding more than 120 million CFA francs (182 000 euros) each. The daily blasted the demand as “indecent”. The Nouvelle Expression daily said there is “tension” over the bonuses, which have been a regular problems between the players and their bosses.
At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when Cameroon failed to get a point and slumped out after the first round, the players received a reported 65 000 euros.
The team reached the quarter-finals in 1990, but have otherwise failed to get past the first round. Their record has been picked up by critics in the latest dispute.
“It is urgent to question the unfettered mercantilism of the ‘soldiers’ of another kind for whom we are still waiting for the first prizes on the battle field,” said Le Jour.
Eto’o watched from the substitutes bench as Cameroon, who start the World Cup in Group A against Brazil, Croatia and Mexico, confidently beat Macedonia in Kufstein.
Cameroon coach Volker Finke suffered a shock, however, when Pierre Webo performed a spectacular scissors kick for the first goal in the 52nd minute, but fell on his shoulder and had to be helped off the field.
Finke played down the gravity of the injury to the Fenerbahce striker, however, saying: “I don’t think it’s too serious.”
Choupo Moting, who plays in Germany, scored the second goal.
Cameroon’s first match is against Mexico on June 13, before Croatia on June 18 and Brazil on June 23.
Finke did not talk about the bonus dispute. He said “it is a difficult group, but we are not going their for a holiday.”
The team have a second warm-up game against Paraguay in Austria tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Victor Moses is targeting a World Cup soccer semi-final spot ahead of Nigeria’s international friendly with Scotland in London today.
Moses and his team-mates will step up their preparations for Brazil against Gordon Strachan’s improving side at Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham, recently relegated from the English Premier League.
And the winger, on the books at nearby Chelsea, is confident Nigeria can make a major impression on next month’s global show piece.
“I believe we can reach the semi-finals. But togetherness of the team under the coach is key. There is always a good vibe among the lads when we come together and we’ll need that at the World Cup.”
Moses has endured a disappointing season on loan at Liverpool where he found himself overlooked for long periods as the Merseysiders finished runners-up in the Premier League behind champions Manchester City, but he believes his frustrations can help fire his World Cup campaign.
“I think playing at the World Cup will be good for a lot of the players and not just me,” he said.
After the Scotland clash, Nigeria will fly out to the United States where coach Stephen Keshi will decide on his final 23-man squad before international football governing body Fifa’s June 2 deadline.
Scotland failed to qualify for the finals — they haven’t reached the latter stages of a major tournament since appearing at the 1998 World Cup in France —but their improved performances under Strachan have boosted confidence ahead of next season’s Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Hull striker George Boyd returns to the Scotland squad after a 12-month absence following his decision to pull out of last year’s trip to Croatia because it clashed with his wedding.
“I’ve been on the fringes of things,” said Boyd. “I had a game in Serbia, but then got married and had to miss the next squad, which probably killed me a bit.
“My wedding clashed with the June date when Scotland won in Croatia. That was really unfortunate and obviously wasn’t great from a football perspective.” — AFP.
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