Brazil skipper Silva worried about Eto'o

The hosts open the tournament on Thursday against Croatia - and do not face Cameroon until their final game in Group A on June 23 - but Silva is already concerned about taking on the four-time African Player of the Year, even though he is past his best at the age of 33.

Eto'o is preparing for his fourth World Cup, and Paris Saint-Germain skipper Silva knows the forward remains a tough opponent.

"He is the striker who most worries me," said Silva, who faced the Cameroonian in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League last season.

"He is an experienced player and a handful to deal with.

"In the Champions League he wasn't 100 per cent but he made his presence felt.

"He has impressive technical abilities and is lethal in the box."

Eto'o's countryman Stephane Mbia, meanwhile, hopes this year's finals can help to banish the memories of the tournament in South Africa in 2010, when Cameroon lost every game and crashed out at the group stage.

"Four years ago we were catastrophic," he said. "The mood in the camp wasn't good, there were a lot of problems.

"But this time that's not the case. We'll be making our mark on this tournament."