Cameroon hit man Samuel Eto'o has warned the world that it's time for an African team to lift the World Cup this summer. No African team has ever made it past the quarter final stage before, that honour belonging to Cameroon themselves at Italia 90, but the Inter Milan striker feels that Africa is not only ready to stage it's first ever World cup tournament, but that the continent is ready to keep hold of the illustrious trophy.

Cameroon hit man Samuel Eto'o has warned the world that it's time for an African team to lift the World Cup this summer. No African team has ever made it past the quarter final stage before, that honour belonging to Cameroon themselves at Italia 90, but the Inter Milan striker feels that Africa is not only ready to stage it's first ever World cup tournament, but that the continent is ready to keep hold of the illustrious trophy.

"The African sides are ready to win a World Cup, I hope the world is ready to accept this. It's an opportunity to show everyone that Africa is not only poverty and disease" Eto'o told the Cameroon tribune, just days after threatening to quit the event altogether due to heavy media criticism.

Boss Paul Le Guen echoes Eto'o's views, believing his side are capable of going one step further than the now infamous Cameroon side of 1990. "Today I am proud to say I have a team which is efficient, the players are in good condition. I am optimistic we will go far, and why not beyond the quarter-finals?"

Cameroon face Japan in their first game of World Cup Group E, and tough warm up matches against Portugal and Serbia will certainly stand them in good stead to add weight to Eto'o's claims.