Qatar 2022: Milla Responds To Belmadi’s Antics

Sheer tension describes the atmosphere between Cameroon and Algeria at the time, as stunned fans of the Desert Foxes are calling for a replay of their World Cup qualifiers second leg handled by referee Papa Gassama, with the 2019 AFCON winners – claiming the referee was corrupt, thus, took poor decisions on the day.

Cameroon’s record man, Albert Roger Milla, talking on the mic of African football expert – Maher Genena, emphasized hat Algeria must accept defeat.

Watch here complete interview below👇

https://mobile.facebook.com/watch/?v=360284269383748&_rdr

Roger Milla, one of Africa’s most productive export’s at the World Cup finals; with 5 goals, one short off Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan, told Maher Genena of Ontime sports that, accepting defeat sometimes is the honorable thing to do.

Quizzed on how he felt about Cameroon’s qualification to a record extending 8th World Cup, the 69 year old replied;

‘We are really happy. To go through to the World Cup is not easy. A team has to work really hard. Our team worked hard to qualify for Qatar 2022, so we are elated.

‘All five teams that qualified for the competition are tough. Now we have to put up a good organization for Qatar,’ the 1990 World Cup quarter-finalist opined.

‘Magic’ Maher as he is fondly called, then touched on the fact that Algeria has maintained her dreams of replaying the second leg, and CAF legend – Roger Milla seemed unperturbed.

‘For us, the game was long sorted. Algeria has to note that they cannot win all the time. Football is just that way. Algeria must accept defeat.

‘I love Algeria. Their fans know that cameroon is a friendly nation! Algerians have to reciprocate the friendship.’ Milla ended.

Amid the sparks between both set of fans on social media, coach Djamel Belmadi lit up conversations with an interview on April 24.

“I sum it up like this: there were two man of the match winners: the first was Gassama, and the second is Onana, the goalkeeper.”

“We will never again let a referee come and hurt our country. I have to say that I did not like that at all. The next day, I went to see the referee, comfortably relaxing at the Algiers airport in the lounge, drinking coffee. I emptied my stomach.

“In other countries, they can’t have such from the referee and leave him like that… I’m not saying that he should be killed but he should not be left alone. He took away the hope of a whole people. We must never accept this kind of thing again.”

Belmadi has come under huge stick from former Indomitable Lions, including FECAFOOT president, Samuel Eto’o via a press release, as it is generally perceived that the gaffer bridged the wall with his words.

FAF still awaits a reply from FIFA after a query was launched late last month. However, it is difficult seeing the narrative change, as Cameroon will most likely go ahead to face: Serbia, Switzerland and Brazil in group G.