Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot), once again finds himself at the center of a controversy. The African Football Confederation (CAF) recently announced the opening of an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior on the part of the ex-Barca goleador.
In a statement, CAF said it had received written requests from several Cameroonian football players regarding alleged inappropriate behavior by Samuel Eto’o. Several club presidents have publicly accused the president of Fécafoot of having manipulated the promotion of certain teams and of having intervened with the referees’ committee to favor certain results.
One case in particular made a lot of noise, that concerning the Bamboutos Football Club of Mbouda. This team, qualified for the Confederations Cup, was refused CAF licenses by FECAFOOT, on the pretext that it had salary arrears towards certain players. Bamboutos protested and requested the intervention of CAF.
Samuel Eto’o and his lawyer reacted strongly to these accusations, denouncing pernicious and toxic communication on the part of CAF. They claim that Samuel Eto’o was never notified of any formal charges and reserve the right to initiate legal proceedings if necessary. According to them, these attacks are the fruit of the enemies of Cameroonian football, who seek to take the sport hostage to serve their personal interests.
This affair adds a new dose of tumult to the presidency of Samuel Eto’o. Since his election in December 2021, many conflicts have marred his mandate. Disagreements with the Minister of Sports, the unilateral termination of the equipment supplier contract with Le Coq Sportif and tensions with the general secretaries of Fécafoot have marred his career.
Despite this turbulence, the arrival of Samuel Eto’o at the head of Fécafoot raised a lot of hope. His experience as a renowned player and his resounding victory in the elections hinted at a return to serenity for a federation shaken by internal conflicts. The newly elected president displayed clear ambitions, particularly in terms of attracting sponsors and relaunching the men’s and women’s championships.
If the qualification for the World Cup obtained against Algeria was a strong point of his mandate, the fractures within Fécafoot were quickly revealed. The violent incident with an Algerian YouTuber during the World Cup in Qatar also highlighted the sometimes questionable behavior of the former striker.
It remains to be seen how this CAF investigation into Samuel Eto’o’s allegations of inappropriate behavior will unfold and what the consequences will be for his presidency at Fécafoot.. One thing is certain, this case once again highlights the tensions and conflicts that persist in the Cameroonian football landscape