The debate that had been raging on since Winfried Schaffer’s list of 22 players came out without Mboma’s name became heated as the rendez-vous for the traditional gala match drew closer. Speculations insinuating an eventual inclusion of the Japan based professional in the list were aplenty.
The fight for Mboma’s return was on many fronts. The radio and the print media especially did quite a good job in what can correctly be referred to as the fight for Mboma’s return within the ranks of the lions. However, while the fight went on, certain very important things seemed to have been over looked.
The name Patrick Mboma, high sounding as it is seems to have been dissociated from his real value as a player. As Cameroonians emotionally clamored for his return within the ranks of the lions, nobody questioned the fact that Mboma, the name, may be very different from Mboma the player on the field of play. The question Cameroonians should have at least asked themselves is "How useful really is Mboma to the lions?". The answer to this question certainly would not have been "indispensable". Immediately a player believes he is indispensable, he becomes useless. This is because he becomes a threat to the discipline of the team and equally suffers from self-sufficiency.
This takes us to the next question that Cameroonians should have asked themselves. "Why did Patrick Mboma quit the ranks of the lions?" The reason as we all know is not unrelated to indiscipline. Just before the confederations cup, the minister of youth and sports invited the lions for his usual last minute talk of encouragement before major tournaments. While all eyes were turned on this important occasion, Patrick Mboma chose this very moment to call a press conference during which he insinuated unwelcome ideas in his utterances. This is the reason why he was not part of the squad at the confederations cup. The successful results of the Lions at the confederations cup without Patrick Mboma should have taught Cameroonians in general and Patrick Mboma in particular a very important lesson.
While Patrick Mboma seems to have recovered, licked his wounds and apologised for past mistakes, Cameroonians on the other hand don’t seem to have learnt anything. The very important lesson that Cameroonians should have learnt from the nations cup went past unnoticed by a majority of Cameroonians. A very simple lesson it was. "No player is indispensable". Patrick Mboma is no fool and knows that the knew philosophy is governed by output and not names.
Considering the fact that Cameroon is full of talents and that as time moves on, things must change, Cameroonians should learn to accept this simple fact; that things must move ahead. If Mboma is still useful, it will be for the good of Cameroon football. lt will also be for the good of same if he gracefully resigns immediately he realises that he is out of shape. As the lions train in Spain for the last round of preparations before Tunisian rendez-vous, speculations had not ceased to exist. This came to an end only when Schaffer’s final list of 22 players was made known.
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