There was a time, in the mid 2000s, when the sight of Samuel Eto’o running in behind your defense was just about the scariest thing imaginable. The Cameroonian scored more than 100 goals in five seasons with Barcelona. He won two Champions League titles with Barca and another with Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan. His pace was terrifying, his runs incisive, his finishing clinical.
Eto’o is now 36. He no longer has quite the same speed to torch high lines like he once did, but he still scored 36 goals in 60 appearances with Antalyaspor in Turkey over the last two seasons. This year, however, he may be losing a bit of his scoring touch.
In a league match against Osmanlispor on Monday, Eto’o missed an absolute sitter that would have put the match away in the 83rd minute.
An open net from three yards out was too difficult for the old man. But the affable striker was able to laugh it off. After all, his team was leading 2-0 and went on to win 3-0 against a team at the bottom of the Super Lig table.
Of course, Eto’o can still find the back of the net. He buried a fifth-minute penalty to put Antalyaspor in front early. Perhaps three yards from goal was too close for Eto'o.
The Antalya-based side on the south coast of Turkey, which also features former Arsenal players Johan Djourou and Samir Nasri, won despite going a man down in the 76th minute. Shockingly, it was the club's first victory of the season. You might expect more from a club with that type of talent on display. But maybe they're all just getting old.
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