Cameroon football legend Samuel Etoó has charged African football federations to determine when the Africa Cup of Nations could be played.
This is against the background of calls by European clubs for the AFCON to be fixed on a more convenient date rather than January-February, when the European league season is into its crucial stage.
The 2021 tournament was held in Cameroon in January and February this year, in the middle of the European season, to avoid the rainy season in the Central African nation.
“We are Africans – nobody else can defend our continent better than ourselves,” Eto’o, who is now president of Cameroon’s football federation (Fecafoot), told BBC Sport Africa.
“Before the Nations Cup in Cameroon, I said that it’s important to play in January-February, something that obviously didn’t please some other people.
“But this is a fact in Africa. We have the rainy season in June, July, August, even early September in our continent. It’s just a matter of getting on the same page with others and explaining things.”
“I am rather happy to see children of this continent being aware that nobody else will defend our continent for us.”