CAF to Probe FECAFOOT President Samuel Eto’o over “Improper Conduct”

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, August 10, 2023 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has said it has received written statements from football stakeholders in Cameroon to investigate FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o for alleged improper conduct. On Wednesday, the African football governing body said it is looking into these requests based on and by its Statutes and Regulations.

“CAF has received written statements from several Cameroonian football stakeholders to look into and investigate certain alleged improper conduct by Mr Samuel Eto’o who is President of the Fédération Camerounaise de Football (FECAFOOT),” CAF said in a statement.

“Whilst the allegations are prima facie serious, Mr Samuel Eto’o is presumed to be innocent until an appropriate judicial body concludes otherwise,” CAF said while indicating that it will not make any further announcements while investigations are ongoing and will only make public statements when the proceedings are complete.

Neither the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, nor its president Samuel Eto’o has communicated on the said matter.

Samuel Eto’o who during a 12-year illustrious career in Spain, Eto’o played for Real Madrid, Leganes, Espanyol, Mallorca and Barcelona, winning La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, and FIFA Club World Cup, among others was elected President of the Cameroonian Football Federation, FECAFOOT in December 2021.

Since then, there have been allegations levied against the former Indomitable Lions captain for improper conduct. Accusations of intimidation and arbitrary exclusion of executive committee members who voiced criticism against the federation, as well as the manipulation of match results, have also been levelled against his leadership.

In July, some amateur football clubs in Cameroon called for the resignation of Eto’o as FECAFOOT president citing “grave irregularities” in the organisation and has expressed concerns over several issues, including changes to the president’s mandate, and the lack of publication of new statutes. The clubs questioned the legality of Eto’o’s decision to take on an ambassadorial role with the betting company, as it may violate both FIFA and FECAFOOT rules.

FIFA strictly forbids individuals bound by its code from participating in any betting, gambling, lotteries, or similar events or transactions related to football matches or competitions. Violation of these rules can result in fines or bans from football-related activities.

The ultimate goal of Samuel Eto’o, when he took over office, was to restore the image of the federation in particular and of Cameroonian football in general. Samuel Eto'o wants to work as much in the sports field as in politics, to restore his country to its nobility.

“A championship which is emptying its best elements and which does not attract others to balance the scales, it is a championship which loses its interest, in particular for the spectators. This exodus of talent is also inevitably manifested by a decline in terms of technical quality and makes inaccuracies more frequent, to the chagrin of the show but also performance against better-off rivals,” Eto’o lamented during his campaign.

For the most part, he is changing the face of Cameroon football, from an increase in spectators to an increase in sponsorships to players being put on a salary (though just 3 out of the 35 or so clubs in the Championships respected that fully).