While another battlefront has opened up against him, Samuel Eto’o was confirmed as President of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot) on October 10, 2023, at the end of an Extraordinary General Meeting.
Eto’o’s fate hangs on CAF’s decision
October 10, 2023 will be remembered as the day when the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot) carried out some skilful maneuvering to ensure the survival of its president, Samuel Eto’o. The Extraordinary General Meeting held at the CAF Centre of Excellence in Mbankomo, near Yaoundé, was the scene of power plays and underhand tactics.
Motions of support
The real machination took place when the Assembly began its work. What should have been a sporting debate on the management of Cameroon’s soccer governing body quickly turned into a “political meeting”. While some expected the issue of the vacancy in the Fécafoot presidency to be discussed, the members of the General Assembly chose instead to show their unwavering support for Samuel Eto’o.
Scarves bearing the messages “I am Samuel Eto’o” and “Total support for Samuel Eto’o” were handed out to the delegates. This clearly demonstrated their opposition to any idea of a power vacuum. This vacancy had been envisaged in view of Samuel Eto’o’s sentencing to 20 months in prison in Spain for tax fraud in June 2022.
Eto’o suspended pending CAF ruling
In the end, the Extraordinary General Meeting took a decision that took the former Indomitable Lions captain’s opponents by surprise.It renewed its confidence in the president of Fécafoot, thus unexpectedly saving his presidency. At least, while awaiting the results of the investigation against him by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) into alleged match-fixing in Cameroon’s second division championship.
Random suspensions and dismissals
The October 10 meeting was also an opportunity for Eto’o’s supporters to settle accounts with some of his opponents. Influential members of the Executive Committee had manoeuvred in secret to ensure that the question of the dismissal of certain members of the federation’s legal commissions was included on the agenda at the last minute. The president of the body, Samuel Eto’o, had played a key role in this manoeuvre, discreetly informing the members concerned that they would have to answer to the serious charges brought against them. However, it was clear to many observers that the meeting had been carefully orchestrated to publicly humiliate the members in question before proceeding with their umpteenth dismissal.
Me Eric Bisso, a member of Fécafoot’s Federal Homologation and Disciplinary Commission, preempted this tactic by submitting his resignation in spectacular fashion. In his letter of resignation, he denounced the recriminations against him as “affabulatory denunciations” and pointed the finger at the federation’s “bad managerial practices”. Further complaints have already been lodged with FIFA against Eto’o and his team.
