Johannesburg - Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz has taken exception to former Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o saying the two sides’ Africa Cup of Nations semi-final clash on Thursday will be like war.
Eto’o, now the head of the Cameroon Football Association (Fecafoot), used the word war in a message to the current national team in reference to their last-four clash in Olembe. Eto’o was speaking to the team after their 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Gambia, in a video posted by Fecafoot on its official Facebook page.
"We have one objective, our next (game), it's Thursday,” Eto’o said.
"Everything you've done, you need to capitalise on it. Prepare yours, because it will be a war, my guys, a war. That's how you have to get fired up for this one, a war."
Queiroz did not accept that the 40-year-old former Barcelona striker was attempting to rally his side to give their best ahead of the contest.
The 68-year-old Queiroz said: ”It’s a very unfortunate comment, a very bad approach, a very bad message to the people of Cameroon.
"To make this declaration of war before one game [shows he] didn't learn anything when he was in professional football.
"Football is not about war. Football is about celebration, it's about joy, it's about happiness.”
In reference to the stampede at the Olembe Stadium on January 24 in which eight people died, Queiroz said the timing of the Eto’o comments were in poor taste.
"He forgot that people died at the stadium [a few] days ago.”
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The Egyptian coach also urged the Confederation of African Football to take action against Eto’o.
"There are people who are starving, whose only moment of happiness is when their team wins a match.
"So to challenge the Cameroon team to come and play war against us is something I have to leave to Caf, because one comment like this is a red card.
"War is to protect people who die in the doors of the stadiums, people who don't have food to eat, that is war."