Nouhou Tolo: "Playing in a World Cup is truly something special"
Nouhou Tolo is the true embodiment of the Cameroonian fighting spirit. His commitment, sometimes excessive, his power, and his tenacity have forced all the coaches who have taken charge of the Cameroonian national team in recent years to make him an essential part of their setup.
Both with the national team and at club level, the list of attackers, including superstars, who have suffered from his defensive rigor has grown over time. Who doesn’t remember Mohamed Salah’s tough night against him on 3 February 2022, at the Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2021? Or Riyad Mahrez’s struggles when he faced him with Algeria in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers?
These are just two examples.
With this aggressive style that is clearly his trademark, the native of the New-Bell neighbourhood in Douala has won the hearts of both the Indomitable Lions' supporters and the Seattle Sounders fans, who can fault him on everything except not giving his all.Ahead of the next two match days in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where Cameroon will face Eswatini and Libya on 19 and 25 March, the 27-year-old left-back opened up to CAFOnline.
Nouhou Tolo, who has already experienced a World Cup in 2022, knows that nothing will be easy for him and his teammates throughout this qualification campaign. But he believes that the key to their qualification for this World Cup, which is particularly special for him as he has been playing in the MLS for more than eight years, lies in focus, humility, and hard work.
In this exclusive interview, he also discusses the upcoming challenges with his club, including the FIFA Club World Cup he will play next summer with the Sounders, and shares his thoughts on his future at the American franchise.
CAFOnline: Cameroon face Eswatini and Libya in the World Cup qualifiers. Can we say this is a turning point for the Indomitable Lions in this qualification campaign?
Nouhou Tolo: Yes, I think this is a turning point for the continuation of our World Cup qualification. These are six-point games, matches that will not be easy, especially since African football has become very difficult. It’s up to us to stay focused, get the job done, and prepare for the upcoming challenges in the best possible way.
The World Cup will take place in North America (USA-Canada-Mexico). As an MLS player, is this a special competition for you personally?
It would be an immense pride. It’s up to us to do the job on the field. I think each one of us is aware of what lies ahead. Playing a World Cup is truly something special.
Cameroon is leading Group D with 8 points and needs to top the group to qualify for the World Cup. Is this a difficult mission for you?
A difficult mission? Yes! You know, we’ll need to stay humble and especially very focused because today football has evolved a lot. But I think we are Cameroon, and it’s up to us to show that on the field.
What do you think is needed to ensure qualification for this competition?
To qualify, we’ll need to win all our matches without calculating anything, and I think the rest will follow.
What does the World Cup represent for a professional footballer? You had the chance to play in your first World Cup in Qatar in 2022. How did you experience that?
The World Cup represents something magnificent. I had the chance to play in the World Cup in Qatar, and really, it’s every footballer’s dream. Not everyone has that opportunity, so you need to give it your all and leave everything on the pitch.
Despite a great victory against Brazil on the third matchday, Cameroon couldn’t get past the group stage. In hindsight, where do you think you fell short in that competition?
The victory against Brazil, for us, was a huge experience. Beating Brazil in a World Cup was really incredible. I think what we learned was the importance of always starting the competition well. If we had started the competition in the best possible way, we would have qualified for the second round. This is Cameroon, we learn, and I think the best is yet to come.
In 2026, Africa will have 9 or 10 representatives in the World Cup. Do you think that with this increased number, the continent will finally have a say in the competition?
It’s a good thing; it shows how much respect is being established. We saw Morocco’s great run, and I think we need to believe in it. I hope an African country will win the World Cup in the near future.
Talking about your season, after a slow start, your club Seattle Sounders secured its first win on the third matchday with a big 5-2 victory against Los Angeles FC. Can we say the season is finally off to a good start for you?
Personally, at Seattle, we’ve always been like this. It’s not easy to juggle the CONCACAF Champions League and the league. With rotation, fatigue, and everything, we’ve always had difficult starts to the season, but I think this win against Los Angeles has allowed us to start our league campaign in the best possible way.
Your club is in the running for the very first FIFA Club World Cup (under the new format) that will be held in the United States next summer. How are you preparing for this competition?
It would be a great pride for me to compete in this competition, a first, especially at home against the best teams from Europe. It would be an immense pride; we’re really excited to participate in this competition. I think we won’t go there as victims, we will have our say.
Your club is in Group B with Paris Saint-Germain (France), Atletico Madrid (Spain), and Botafogo (Brazil). Do you think you have a chance in this group?
We will have our say in this group; we didn’t arrive by chance, we earned it. We’ve drawn the best, but I think with the staff, we’ve had a discussion, and there’s no question of us going there just to stroll around. We’ll have our say. It won’t be easy, we respect our opponents, but we’ll have our say in this competition.
Playing against these giants, is it a great opportunity for your career?Of course, it’s a great opportunity. Playing a World Cup with great players, after the AFCON, for me, it’s the continuation of a beautiful experience. It’s a competition like any other, and we shouldn’t panic. We’ll need to play our game, show we have the level to be on the other side. We need to play with calm and serenity.
What are your personal goals in participating in this competition?
My personal goal, first and foremost, is qualification for the second round, and secondly, to show who we are, and the rest will come by itself. As I said, it’s a tournament like any other, and we need to stay calm, composed, play our game on the field, and focus on ourselves.
You’ve been playing in Seattle since 2016, and with one year left on your contract, there’s a lot of talk about interest from top European and Saudi clubs. What’s the situation regarding your future?
I’ve met high-level players in my career, like Mohamed Salah or Riyad Mahrez, against whom I’ve had some great performances. The most important thing for me is to stay the person I am. I’ve been in Seattle since 2016-2017, and I don’t stress about what’s happening around me. There are rumours, yes, but for a transfer to happen, two clubs have to agree. So far, it hasn’t worked out, and I’m not stressing about it. Right now, I’m in Seattle, there are supporters who have adopted me, who love me, who’ve almost made me their son. Every time I have the ball, my name is chanted, and that’s flattering. You know, the most important thing in life is to be happy where you are, to feel that warmth. I think the best is yet to come, and the future will tell. I’m a year away from the end of my contract, and we’ll see what happens.