Samuel Eto'o pays tribute to late Cameroonian football legend Emmanuel Kunde
Emmanuel Kunde
, the steely midfielder who powered Cameroon to two
Africa Cup of Nations
crowns and a historic 1990
FIFA World Cup
quarter-final, has died at the age of 68. Samuel Eto'o, president of the
Cameroon Football
Federation and the country's most celebrated modern striker, opened a flood of tributes on Friday after learning about his death as the football world grieves the passing away of a legendary player.
Samuel Eto'o remembers Emmanuel Kunde as a 'discreet and affectionate man'
When news of his death came out, Cameroonian football administrator and former player Samuel Eto'o called Emmanuel Kunde a 'discreet and affectionate man'.
'He was a fantastic footballer, the control tower in the midfield, the defensive wall the opponent crashed into, but also a great playmaker when the team had possession,' Eto'o reminisced.
'His death constitutes a huge loss for Cameroonian football,' said a federation statement, according to Reuters.
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Emmanuel Kunde's legacy stretches across World Cup history and Africa Cup of Nations triumph
Emmanuel Kunde initially imprinted his dominance on the international scene at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain, holding down an Indomitable Lions team that went out unbeaten but unbeaten, drawing with Peru, Poland, and eventual winners Italy. Eight years on, in the blistering desert sun of Italia '90, the then-33-year-old produced the moment that eternally joined his name with Cameroonian legend.
England had a 1-0 lead in the quarter-final when Emmanuel Kunde emerged from the wings to fire a penalty past Peter Shilton and ignite one of the tournament's most electric atmospheres. Though Gary Lineker's double ultimately pushed Bobby Robson's side through, Cameroon's marathon—the first by an African country to make it to a World Cup quarter-final—changed the perception of African football overnight. (Relive the match: FIFA classic highlights)
Back home, the veteran Canon Yaoundé pillar was already a legend. Emmanuel Kunde had led Cameroon to Africa Cup of Nations victories in 1984 and 1988, scoring the winning kick in the latter final against Nigeria within Casablanca's Stade Mohamed V. His combination of positional restraint and unforced distribution had earned him the nickname "La Tour de Contrôle"—the control tower.
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Emmanuel Kunde's death cuts one of the last remaining bonds to Cameroon's golden age, but his spirit lives on wherever a young Lion takes a spot-kick under pressure. As tributes resound from Douala to Doha, his life serves as a reminder to the footballing world that greatness is not inscribed by medals alone but by bravery under floodlights and modesty in triumph. The control tower is silent, but its beacon will pilot African football for decades ahead.
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