Eto'o banned from attending Cameroon games

Samuel Eto'o was elected president of the Cameroonian Football Federation in December 2021

Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot) president Samuel Eto’o has been handed a six-month ban from attending any international matches involving the Central African country by a Fifa disciplinary panel.

The former Barcelona and Chelsea striker was sanctioned following breaches of two articles of the world governing body’s disciplinary code.

The ban was issued in connection with the Under-20 Women’s World Cup last-16 game between Cameroon and Brazil on 11 September which the South Americans won 3-1 after extra time.

According to a Fifa statement, articles relating to offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play and misconduct of players and officials were breached at the game in Bogota, Colombia, which Eto’o attended.

The 43-year-old is now prevented from attending all football matches involving men’s and women’s representative sides from Cameroon, covering all categories and age groups.

Fifa said the sanction would come into force immediately and that Eto’o had been notified.

In their own statement released on Tuesday, Fecafoot claimed that the referee for the U20 World Cup match against Brazil, Maria Sole Ferrieri of Italy, who was also in charge of Cameroon's group game against Colombia, had made "obvious" mistakes.

It went on to say that at the end of the last-16 tie, Eto'o had "respectfully brought to the attention of officials the errors which, unfortunately for Cameroon, altered the results of the two matches" and that Fecafoot was "surprised and disappointed" by Fifa's "unfortunate decision".

It also hinted at a likely appeal, something which Fifa confirmed to the BBC is possible.

Eto'o, however, will miss his first matches as Cameroon’s men face Kenya in a qualification double-header for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations this month.

The four-time African Footballer of the Year had chaired a meeting in Douala on Monday to discuss preparations ahead of the visit of the Harambee Stars on 11 October.

A chequered time in office

This is the latest sanction to hit Eto’o, who was fined $200,000 by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) in July for an ethics breach.

A disciplinary panel found that he had "seriously violated the principles of ethics, integrity and sportsmanship" of Caf by signing a contract to be an ambassador for betting company 1XBET.

Eto'o's lawyers said they would appeal against the verdict, which came after a Caf investigation found insufficient evidence to pursue a charge related to allegations of match-fixing.

Eto’o enjoyed a glittering playing career both in Europe and with Cameroon but has provoked controversy since being elected as Fecafoot president in 2021.

Last year, a group representing amateur clubs in Cameroon called on him to resign, citing "grave irregularities" at Fecafoot, while Eto’o was described as a “dictator” by one former international team-mate because of the way he has steered the organisation.

Eto’o was involved in a long-running dispute with the nation’s Ministry of Sport over the naming of Marc Brys as coach of the Indomitable Lions earlier this year before eventually accepting the Belgian’s appointment.