Samuel Eto’o used his final address before the upcoming Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) elections to deliver a blistering response to critics – and a pointed retort to national team coach Marc Brys.
The Extraordinary General Assembly took place on Thursday at the CAF Centre of Excellence in Mbankomo, Yaoundé, marking the last major gathering before the Elective Assembly that could determine the end of Eto’o’s presidency.
The former Cameroon striker, who has faced an eventful and often turbulent term, paid tribute to his closest allies, particularly his legal team, praising them for winning practically all the trials in the numerous cases that have dogged his tenure.
Eto’o reserved some of his most forceful words for his detractors.
Several opponents, he reminded delegates, had been handed suspensions of up to 20 years.
It was never a personal matter and I do not regret any decision made, he said. I have always acted in the interests of football.
But it was his long-running friction with Belgian coach Marc Brys that provided the sharpest edge to his speech.
Relations between the two have been tense since Brys’ appointment in April 2024, and the feud flared again after the coach’s comments at the draw for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where he remarked: Eto’o does not enter our dressing room, it is forbidden.
Eto’o appeared visibly incredulous at the claim before launching into a defiant response.
I’m told I don’t have the right to train with the Lions. In which country? They think I don’t have the right to enter the locker room when I’m the boss of the locker room! My signature alone is enough to let whoever I want in. You have to read it, dear brothers. It’s shameful.
The clash is the latest episode in a strained relationship that has spilled repeatedly into the public arena, adding further intrigue to Fecafoot’s already charged political atmosphere ahead of the election.
Eto’o’s four-year presidency has been marked by both reform attempts and persistent controversy, with supporters crediting him for defending Cameroonian football’s interests, while critics accuse him of divisive leadership.
Whether he secures a second term will depend on how voting members weigh his achievements against the high-profile disputes that have defined much of his time in office.
What is certain is that Eto’o, a man whose footballing career was built on confidence and self-assurance, is leaving no doubt about his willingness to confront challenges head-on – both on and off the pitch.
𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐄𝐭𝐨’𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐥’𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞́𝐞 𝐠𝐞́𝐧𝐞́𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐚 𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓 :
« On me dit que je n’ai pas le droit de m’entraîner avec les Lions. Dans quel pays ?
On estime que je n’ai pas le droit d’entrer dans le vestiaire alors que je suis le… pic.twitter.com/SScsfnkLVJ— La Tanière²³⁷ 🦁 (@lataniere237) August 7, 2025
