Cameroon: FECAFOOT Executive Committee Members Reject Samuel Eto’o’s Resignation

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

BUEA, February 6, 2023 – Members of the Executive body of the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, have rejected the resignation of Samuel Eto’o as president of Cameroon’s FA.

President Eto’o Fils' failed resignation comes following a meeting of the Executive Committee Meeting on Monday, February 5, which met to evaluate the performance of the Indomitable Lions at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON in Ivory Coast.

In a communiqué by Secretary-General Blaise Djounang, he said: “At the beginning of the meeting, the President of the Cameroon Football Federation, Samuel Eto’o tendered his resignation to the members of the federal executive organ, inviting them to do likewise in good faith.”

“At the end of discussions, and subsequent deliberations, the members of the Executive Committee decided to maintain the current mandates and thus unanimously rejected the President’s resignation thereby renewing their confidence in him to continue with the same spirit of reconstruction and development of Cameroon football at all levels as envisaged in his plan adopted by the elective General Assembly of December 11, 2021,” added FECAFOOT Secretary-General Blaise Djounang.

Elected on December 11, 2021, as president of the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, Samuel Eto'o, a former captain of the Indomitable Lions, ran based on reconstructing and developing Cameroon football at all levels.

However, his time in office has not been all plain sailing as "Pichichi" as he is sometimes called has been involved in various legal battles and accusations of poor management and highhandedness as FECAFOOT president.  His supporters see it differently. They say President Samuel Eto'o has changed Cameroon football for the better while making footballers in the country enjoy their hard work, and playing football.

The full resolutions of the Executive Committee meeting are equally highly awaited. It is still uncertain if Coach Rigobert Song's time at the Lions' den was discussed and what outcome was taking for the coach. Reports circulating online, however, indicate that Assistant Coach Sebastien Migne has been relieved of his duties, though this cannot be independently verified.

The Indomitable Lions had a lacklustre performance at the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast, with the side failing to replicate the feat they achieved last time they hosted the competition. Indeed, Cameroon was knocked out of the competition at the Round of 16 by neighbours Nigeria following an Ademola Lookman brace. Before that, Cameroon won one of three group stage games and was on the brink of elimination but powered and defeated the Gambia to progress out of the group stage.