Samuel Eto’o’s claims about former referee trigger threat of legal action

Samuel Eto’o has accused a former international referee and army officer of acting against the interests of Cameroon and Morocco during previous African football competitions, prompting the official he appeared to identify to demand evidence and warn that he could take the matter to court.

The president of the Cameroon Football Federation made the allegations at a ceremony held to mark the graduation of a new group of Cameroonian referees. He warned the officials about the conduct of certain people they might encounter before referring to a “former referee and army officer” whom he claimed had played a negative role against Cameroon.

Eto’o said the individual had “tried to influence Morocco in favour of another country” and added that he had “done the same thing when Cameroon’s Lionesses were participating in the most recent edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations”.

His comments were reported by Cameroonian outlet CFOOT. Eto’o did not name the former referee, explain what he meant by attempting to influence Morocco or identify the country that allegedly stood to benefit.

The description quickly led to speculation that he was referring to Alioum Sidi, a former international referee and Cameroonian army officer who is now president of the Association of Cameroonian Football Referees.

Sidi subsequently issued a statement indicating that he considered himself to be the subject of Eto’o’s remarks. He firmly rejected “any accusation, insinuation or interpretation” suggesting that he had tried to influence a match in favour of another country or acted against Cameroon’s interests.

He called on Eto’o to set out clearly the incidents on which the allegations were based and to provide objective evidence to support them.

Sidi also said he would consider turning to the courts and relevant authorities to protect his honour, reputation and integrity if the claims were not backed by evidence.

No public evidence has been disclosed in support of Eto’o’s allegations, and the former referee’s identity was not confirmed by the Cameroon Football Federation.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of an existing legal conflict between the Association of Cameroonian Football Referees, which is led by Sidi, and the Cameroon Football Federation. That case is currently before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Sidi suggested that the ongoing dispute could be linked to Eto’o’s latest comments. He referred to what he described as “the president of the federation losing his composure”, an apparent reference to Eto’o.

The former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea striker has been president of the Cameroon Football Federation since 2021. His tenure has included repeated disagreements with football authorities and disputes over Cameroon’s national teams, although the source article provides no further details about the alleged incidents involving Morocco or the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Eto’o’s remarks have therefore opened a new public confrontation with a senior figure in Cameroon’s refereeing establishment, while the central allegations remain unsubstantiated in public and Sidi threatens legal action unless they are supported by evidence.