In Cameroon, Samuel Eto’o leaves no one indifferent. The man who was one of the best strikers in the world in the 2000s, elected on December 12, 2021 for four years as president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fécafoot), has been in the hot seat for several weeks.
On February 5, a few days after the elimination of the Indomitable Lions in the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast (0-2), the 43-year-old leader first presented his resignation to the executive committee of Fécafoot. However, “he can only do so before the general assembly which elected him,” Guibaï Gatama, a member suspended by his federation from this executive committee, told AFP. “This resignation, even if accepted by the committee, would not have been legal. It’s a trick,” judges this journalist.
But more than this real false resignation, it is above all the investigation opened in August by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) into “alleged inappropriate behavior” and suspicions of match-fixing that worries Samuel Eto’o and his supporters. The president of Fécafoot assured that he had never been questioned by CAF about what he is accused of and announced his intention to file a complaint against the continental body.
“It was too easy to sully everything I was able to build during these few years in the world of football,” said the former center forward on France 24 on February 28. According to him, CAF had “unacceptable behavior” by launching a press release “much too early”. Véron Mosengo-Omba, the secretary general of CAF, whom Le Monde contacted, did not respond to our requests. However, according to our information, CAF’s investigations into the allegations against Mr. Eto’o have progressed well and if they are proven, they could lead to his suspension by FIFA.
Controversial decisions
Since succeeding Seidou Mbombo Njoya at the head of Fécafoot, the former scorer for the Indomitable Lions, FC Barcelona and Inter Milan was quick to create enemies. His first twenty-six months of presidency were punctuated by affairs and controversies. “This is not the first time that the presidency of Fécafoot has been animated, but since it is held by a well-publicized personality, adored or hated, we talk about it a lot,” puts Claude Bekombo Jabea, researcher at the Fécafoot center into perspective. studies and research in sports law, economics and policy at the University of Yaoundé.
The election of Samuel Eto’o had raised a certain optimism in Cameroon, after years of chaotic management of a federation several times placed under the supervision of FIFA. “He had a good campaign, with an ambitious project, raising a lot of expectations. But after two and a half years in office, the results are disappointing,” notes André Kana-Biyik, African champion in 1988.
Like many Cameroonians, the former Indomitable Lions midfielder criticizes his younger brother for an exercise of power that is too solitary. “He has an oversized ego, does as he pleases, doesn’t listen to anyone and doesn’t get good advice. As a result, we talk more about the multiple cases that are shaking the federation than about the progress for Cameroonian football, which is quite few in number,” underlines André Kana-Biyik.
Samuel Eto’o has indeed made controversial decisions. Thus, the manager abruptly ended in 2022 the contract which linked Fécafoot with the French equipment manufacturer Le Coq sportif, which took the matter to court, to engage with the Americans of One All Sports. This decision caused a falling out with Yannick Noah, administrator of Coq sportif. He also personally signed a contract with 1xBet, a sports betting company, before five weeks later the federation he heads did the same.
“Both president and coach”
But despite the succession of cases, the recurring tensions with the Minister of Sports Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, the internationals André Onana or Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and the publication in December 2023 of an incriminating book – L’Arnaque, written by Jean -Bruno Tagne, his former campaign director – Samuel Eto’o still benefits from a lot of support. That in particular of the always very popular Roger Milla, who wishes above all to remember “what has been done for local football, with professional championships which take place on a regular basis, more public in the stadiums and the improvement in the status of the players , particularly in terms of payment of salaries”.
If he admits to having disagreed with Samuel Eto’o “on the tone he sometimes used with the internationals” and would have liked him to “associate more former Lions with his mission”, the one who was the star of the 1990 World Cup recalls that the president of Fécafoot “resolved the bonus problems which were polluting the life of the selection”.
Insufficient arguments for André Kana-Biyik, who regrets that Samuel Eto’o does not allow “a calm presidency” and “wants to be both president and coach”. Fécafoot, which formalized on February 28 the non-renewal of the contract of coach Rigobert Song, will however leave it to the Head of State Paul Biya and the Minister of Sports to appoint his successor.
This political takeover does not surprise Claude Bekombo Jabea, author of the book The State and the National Football Team in Cameroon. “It’s been like this for a very long time,” he says. The federation proposes names and it is the State which decides. Cameroon is undoubtedly one of the only countries in the world where selection is governed by presidential decree. »
