Cameroonian striker Etienne Eto’o Pineda insists the name of his legendary father Samuel Eto’o remains a big load on his head but he is hoping to even excel more in his career than his celebrated Dad.
Eto’o who netted twice and provided an assist in the win against Cameroon maintains he wants to exceed expectations and even go beyond what his father did in football
“There is always pressure in life whether or not you are the son of a famous person. But for me, I just try to enjoy my career and demonstrate to people that I can do it,” Etienne told the CAF Website ahead of Thursday’s game with Ghana.
“My dad has played a huge influence in my life because I have always admired him and want to learn from him and continue in his steps. Always I want to be someone like him.
“I want to try and be better than him and I am always looking forward to stepping on the pitch and giving my best. Even though I know it is difficult to be better than my father, I want to work hard to achieve like him. He is always there to support me and give me advice.
“I think sometimes it is natural that your father influences what you want to be in future. It is just the same like for example when your father is a policeman, you might be interested in becoming a policeman too. My father has played a huge role in my life and influenced me to take football as a career.
“For me, it doesn’t feel strange and it is nothing special really. I just have to enjoy who my dad is but also keep working hard for myself.” He added.
Eto’o is likely to lead the attack of Cameroon on Thursday when they face the Black Satellites of Ghana in the second round of the 2021 U-20 AFCON.
