Samuel Eto'o Fils (C), an ex-Cameroonian footballer, is seen during the election of a new president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot) at the Mont Fébé Hotel in Yaoundé on December 11, 2021. (Photo by Daniel Beloumou Olomo / AFP)
Cameroonian soccer legend Samuel Eto’o has been banned by the World Football Governing Body, (FIFA) from attending any national team games for six months.
The ban follows an incident on September 11 at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, where Brazil defeated Cameroon 3-1.
FIFA charged Eto’o, the president of Cameroon’s soccer federation since 2021, with “offensive behavior” and breaching fair play principles. The ban applies to all men’s and women’s matches involving Cameroon’s national teams across all age categories.
Eto’o, 43, is one of Africa’s most celebrated footballers, having played in four World Cups for Cameroon and winning Champions League titles with both Barcelona and Inter Milan during his illustrious career as a forward.
Despite his achievements on the field, this disciplinary action marks a significant setback for his post-playing career as the leader of Cameroonian football.
In a statement, FIFA noted that Eto’o was judged to have broken disciplinary rules relating to “offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play” and misconduct of officials, FIFA said.
“The ban imposed on Mr. Eto’o prevents him from attending men’s and women’s matches involving (Cameroon) teams of all categories and age groups,” FIFA said in a statement.
FIFA said Eto’o’s misconduct violated key principles related to the fair conduct expected from officials, leading to the ban. The incident itself, which occurred during a Round of 16 match in the Women’s World Cup, has not been fully detailed by FIFA, leaving specifics unclear.
However, the governing body emphasized that the action taken prevents Eto’o from attending any national matches involving Cameroon across various age groups during the period of the ban.
This is not the first time Eto’o has been involved in controversies off the field, though his leadership of the Cameroon Football Federation was largely welcomed with hopes of advancing the nation’s football progress.
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