Cameroonian Football legend, Samuel Eto’o, has disclosed the pivotal moment when a local game in his city persuaded his parents to permit him to pursue his passion for football.
Throughout his remarkable career, Eto’o achieved numerous accolades, representing esteemed clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Everton. He clinched three Champions League titles, three La Liga crowns, two Copa del Reys, Serie A, the Coppa Italia twice, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
However, during his formative years, Eto’o had to clandestinely engage in football activities, as his parents held the belief that football was solely for individuals uninterested in education. It was at that point that Eto’o’s father inadvertently witnessed his exceptional performance in a local match, leading to a transformation in his parents’ perspective and allowing him to continue pursuing his passion for football.
Reflecting on his upbringing, the 39-year-old expressed, “I lived and breathed football – but my parents were very hard on me. They did not accept the fact that I played football because to them football was something children played if they didn’t go to school.”
“I was obviously going to school and I was not a bad student, but I had a passion, which was football. I vividly remember one day I played a game in my city and I had to hide in order to go play. What I didn’t know is that my dad was with some friends in the bar in front of the field.”
“Everything I did that day in that game gave me my ‘pass’ to play football freely. Because my parents did not know [until that moment] that I seemed to have a natural talent for the game.”
“I was the hero of my neighbourhood after that game. That day, when I returned home, my father arrived a little later and said: ‘You are so good, I saw your match today. I’m going to talk to your mother so you can keep playing.”
“That is how he gave me a pass to keep playing. I was about 12 or 13 years old. From that moment on, there was no looking back.”
“I had the blessing of my father, and you could not keep me off that football pitch. Day or night. From there, it was one or two years before I went to Europe, and my life changed forever.”