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Tag: FECAFOOT

  • Eto’o suffers 4-match ban, $20k fine over misconduct

    Eto’o suffers 4-match ban, $20k fine over misconduct

    Cameroonian FA chief Samuel Eto’o has been slapped with a four-match ban and a $20,000 fine for misconduct during Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations AFCON defeat to Morocco.

    This was confirmed in a statement by FECAFOOT stating that it had received a ruling from the Confederation of African Football’s disciplinary committee. However, FECAFOOT contends that the penalty  “lacks any explicit justification.”

    One major concern raised by FECAFOOT is thespeed with which CAF arrived at such a decision without giving the president a fair chance to respond, present evidence, or appeal before the sanction was imposed. According to reports, normally, CAF’s disciplinary procedures allow for investigation, hearings, and appeals, which can take several days to weeks, but Eto’o was given no such chance.

    The federation said, “The expedited procedure that resulted in this sanction raises serious concerns about respecting the basic standards of due process”.

    CAF’s response to Eto’os alleged misconduct

    On Monday, 12 January, CAF announced that it had launched investigations into incidents arising from the quarter-final matches involving Cameroon against Morocco and Algeria against Nigeria.

    Although it made no specification as to which of Eto’o’s actions attracted the sanctions, many believe they stemmed from his angry gesturing in the direction of Moroccan FA chief Fouzi Lekjaa, with CAF President Patrice Motsepe seated nearby.

    Despite the ruling, FECAFOOT stated it remains firmly behind its leader.

    The federation said, “FECAFOOT reiterates its unwavering support for its president and its commitment to fair and credible disciplinary justice”.

    Despite the distractions, Cameroon showed resilience in moments. The Indomitable Lions progressed from the group stage and eliminated South Africa in the Round of 16. However, the quarter-final defeat to Morocco exposed limitations.

    The team struggled to create chances, lacked cohesion, and appeared tactically uncertain, signs that preparation had not been optimal.

    This is not the first time he has been penalised for misconduct as his country’s football federation president.

    In February last year, he appealed against the sanctions placed on him by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), allowing him to run for a position on the CAF Executive Committee, AfricaSoccer.com reports.

    Eto’o, who is the president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot), was fined $200,000 and penalized for allegedly violating CAF’s ethical rules. Many believe this led to his disqualification from CAF’s elections in March.

    However, after an eight-month legal battle, CAF’s Appeals Board ruled that the Disciplinary Board did not have the authority to handle the case, as such matters should be addressed by an independent Ethics Committee.

    “The decision of 27 June 2024, which imposed a fine of USD 200,000 on Mr. Eto’o, was annulled,” read a statement from Eto’o’s legal team.

  • CAF Appeals Panel lifts sanctions on Eto’o, clears him for Executive Committee bid

    CAF Appeals Panel lifts sanctions on Eto’o, clears him for Executive Committee bid

    Cameroon football legend Samuel Eto’o has successfully appealed against the sanctions placed on him by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), allowing him to run for a position on the CAF Executive Committee, AfricaSoccer.com reports.

    Eto’o, who is the president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot), was fined $200,000 and penalized for allegedly violating CAF’s ethical rules. Many believe this led to his disqualification from CAF’s elections in March.

    However, after an eight-month legal battle, CAF’s Appeals Board ruled that the Disciplinary Board did not have the authority to handle the case, as such matters should be addressed by an independent Ethics Committee.

    “The decision of 27 June 2024, which imposed a fine of USD 200,000 on Mr. Eto’o, was annulled,” read a statement from Eto’o’s legal team.

    “In accordance with the principle of lis pendens, the CAF disciplinary bodies could not take up this matter.”

    The decision is a big win for former FC Barcelona and Inter Milan star Samuel Eto’o, whose image had been questioned because of his ties to betting company 1xBet and a past suspended prison sentence for tax fraud in Spain.

    CAF initially saw his deal with 1xBet as a conflict of interest, which many believe was the reason he was left out of the election race.

  • FIFA bans Samuel Eto’o for six months for offensive behaviour

    FIFA bans Samuel Eto’o for six months for offensive behaviour

    Head of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot), Samuel Eto’o, has received a six-month ban from attending matches involving the national teams due to breaches of FIFA’s disciplinary rules according to an announcement from the governing body of football.

    Eto’o, a former striker for Barcelona, has been leading Fecafoot since 2021 and will now be prohibited from attending all men’s and women’s matches across different age categories during this period.


    “The sanction was imposed in connection with the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup round-of-16 match between Brazil and Cameroon played in Bogota, Colombia, on 11 September 2024,” FIFA said in a statement on Monday.

    Details regarding the incidents were not disclosed by FIFA’s disciplinary committee. The statement said Eto’o was deemed guilty of “offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play” and “misconduct” involving officials.

    The charges stem from Cameroon’s recent knockout match against Brazil, which ended in a 3-1 defeat for Cameroon after extra time. During the game, Eto’o and the Cameroon delegation were incensed by a penalty decision that allowed Brazil to equalise.

    Although Eto’o, aged 43 and a former player for Chelsea in the English Premier League, is banned from attending any national matches—regardless of gender or age—this sanction does not impact his presidency at Fecafoot.

    Earlier this year, Eto’o faced a fine of $200,000 imposed by the Confederation of African Football for engaging in a branding deal with an online gambling company, which was deemed an ethical violation.

    Additionally, he has been at odds with the sports ministry in Cameroon over their appointment of Belgian Marc Brys as the men’s team coach, which Eto’o deemed “illegal.”

    As a four-time African Player of the Year, Eto’o is recognised as Cameroon’s second-most capped player, following Rigobert Song. His club career was marked by significant success, including winning the Champions League four times with three different clubs.

    In a controversial incident during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, he was captured on video in a physical altercation with a man outside a stadium following a tense exchange.

  • Samuel Eto’o fined $200k for breach of CAF ethics, link with 1XBET

    Samuel Eto’o fined $200k for breach of CAF ethics, link with 1XBET

    CAF Disciplinary Board has issued a verdict regarding Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT).

    Eto’o faced accusations of match-fixing and violating ethical principles.

    Upon thorough review, the board found insufficient evidence to convict Eto’o and Valentin Nkwain of match manipulation.

    However, Eto’o was found guilty of breaching CAF’s ethical principles by serving as a brand ambassador for 1XBET and accepting payments for this role.

    This breach of Article 2, paragraph 3 of the CAF Statutes resulted in a $200,000 fine.

    The decision underscores CAF’s dedication to maintaining ethical standards in African football.

    Although Eto’o avoided harsher penalties, the fine serves as a caution to football officials and stakeholders.

  • Cameroon suspends 62 ‘old men’ including youngest AFCON player over age fraud

    Cameroon suspends 62 ‘old men’ including youngest AFCON player over age fraud

    Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT) has taken action against 62 players ahead of its upcoming domestic season playoffs, banning them due to allegations of age cheating.

    Among those barred from participation is Wilfred Nathan Douala, who gained attention as the youngest participant in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Doubts surrounding his age, listed as 17 years old, led to suspicions of age falsification, prompting scrutiny from social media users who noted that he appeared older than his documented age.


    Reports from BSN Sport confirm that Douala, the youngest participant at the AFCON, has been excluded from Cameroon’s top-tier league this season, joining 62 other players. They were barred due to concerns about “irregularities in identification and ages.”

    This incident mirrors previous events in Cameroon.

    https://twitter.com/Jay_Deee_/status/1767151791114707312?s=20

    In January 2023, FECAFOOT suspended 21 players out of 30 selected for the U17 AFCON due to suspected age falsification.

    This decision came after MRI tests were conducted to accurately assess bone development and verify players’ ages.

    FECAFOOT attributed these measures to President Samuel Eto’o’s directives, expressing worries about the reputational damage caused by age fraud in football.

    This was reported by SoFoot.

    “This action stems from strict instructions provided by the president of FECAFOOT, acting under the mandate from COMEX, to eradicate the manipulation of civil status that has previously tarnished the reputation of the umbrella body of Cameroonian football.”

    Although Douala was chosen for the Cameroon squad at the recent AFCON, he did not play in any matches during the tournament.

  • FIFA under pressure to sack Samuel Eto’o from role as FECAFOOT president

    A group of Cameroonian officials is exerting pressure on FIFA to remove former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o from his position due to multiple controversial incidents linked to him.

    In a letter addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe, the group questions Eto’o’s continued leadership at FECAFOOT, alleging that he has “illegally” asserted control over the organisation.

    CAF had initiated an investigation into Eto’o’s alleged improper conduct in August following leaked audio implicating him in a match-fixing scandal, despite his denials.

    Eto’o had claimed he was conversing with a friend who invests in football and expressed that he “would have done everything possible to avoid any refereeing errors against him.”

    According to the group’s letter, which includes figures like Pierre Semengue, President of the Professional Football League of Cameroon, and former FECAFOOT Vice-President Henry Njalla Quan Junior, the lack of action taken against Eto’o “lies at the very heart of football’s issues of integrity, ethics, and fair play.”

    The letter also references Eto’o’s suspended prison sentence in a tax fraud case, asserting that, according to FECAFOOT’s statutes, he should have relinquished his role after the ruling.

    Additionally, it mentions an incident in which Eto’o kneeled a man in the face during the World Cup in Qatar, captured on video.

    Eto’o’s partnership with sports betting company 1XBET is another point of contention in the letter, alleging that it constitutes a “flagrant violation” of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

    Pointing to the Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) swift attempts to remove Luis Rubiales as president following his kiss on Jenni Hermoso after the Women’s World Cup, the letter challenges world football’s governing body, saying: “Not a word has been heard from FIFA despite numerous complaints and reminders from Cameroonian football actors.

    “How can FIFA continue to remain silent in the face of so many scandals that compromise public confidence in sporting ethics and the sincerity of matches?”

    It continued: “The sad reality of this two-speed management of almost identical situations is that Africa remains a kind of enclave where you can take liberties with the ethics and exemplarity that sports leaders should embody,” the letter says.

    “Can you imagine FIFA and UEFA remaining silent when the president of a European football federation is suspected of match-fixing, with audio recordings to back it up?

    “Can you imagine FIFA and UEFA keeping quiet while the president of a European soccer federation signed a personal ambassadorship contract with a sports betting operator?”

  • CAF begins probe into allegations of ‘improper conduct’ by Samuel Eto’o

    CAF begins probe into allegations of ‘improper conduct’ by Samuel Eto’o

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF), the governing body for football in Africa, has officially received a complaint from stakeholders within Cameroonian football regarding the behaviour of Samuel Eto’o, the President of FECAFOOT (Cameroonian Football Federation).

    According to CAF, this group has formally requested the confederation look into the actions of the former Barcelona star.

    During his tenure as head of the Cameroonian Football Federation, Eto’o has been associated with various controversies, prompting certain members of the association to demand his resignation.

    “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”),” a statement from CAF read.

    “CAF is looking into these requests based on and in accordance with the CAF Statutes and Regulations. While the allegations are prima facie serious, Mr. Samuel Eto’o is presumed innocent until an appropriate judicial body concludes otherwise.

    “CAF will make no further announcement while the investigations are ongoing and will only make public statements when the proceedings have come to an end.”