© EuroFootball.com
Reacting to Samuel Eto'o's statements that he himself asked to take the crucial eleven-meter penalty kick, determining whether Cameroon would participate for the sixth time in the World Cup, Inter defender Pierre Wome accused Barcelona forward and his national team teammate of lying.
In Saturday's match, P.Wome failed to convert the crucial penalty kick awarded in the fifth minute of added time into Egypt's goal. This meant that the Ivory Coast national team, which finished first in the group, would go to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
"Everything he said is a lie," said the disappointed Cameroonian national team defender. "No one wanted to take that penalty kick: neither the team captain (S.Eto'o), nor any other player, because we knew we might miss it."
"I feel very bad," said the Inter defender. "I tried calling Eto'o, but an answering machine responded."
"Some teammates called, others did not," continued P.Wome. "In Milan, some Inter players have already talked to me, even M. Moratti (Inter president) called and comforted me that life goes on."
However, the player claimed that he will "get through it," but added that he is most worried about his family's safety. After the match, P.Wome and his family were escorted out of the country under police protection, as fans destroyed homes and smashed cars, which they claimed belonged to P.Wome.
