Samuel Eto’o, revered as one of Africa’s greatest football icons, is now at the centre of an integrity crisis that threatens to upend Cameroonian football and cast a shadow over his once-glittering legacy.
The current president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) is facing coordinated legal actions filed at national, continental, and global levels, with allegations of corruption, conflicts of interest, and financial misconduct.
A coalition of Cameroonian players, represented by international lawyer Emmanuel Nsahlai, has lodged complaints with Cameroon’s Ministry of Sports and Physical Education (MINSEP), FIFA, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The petition seeks Eto’o’s suspension from both FECAFOOT and the CAF Executive Committee, while also calling for sweeping statutory reforms to restore credibility in Cameroonian football governance.
The allegations against Eto’o are wide-ranging: his suspended prison sentence in Spain for tax fraud, suspected match-fixing, conflicts of interest linked to betting giant 1xBet, and claims of diverting USD 1.5 million from high-profile friendlies against Mexico, Russia, and Korea.
Critics also accuse him of suppressing opposition voices – most notably through the controversial 10-year suspension of FECAFOOT executive Guibai Gatama – and of manipulating the federation’s electoral process to maintain his grip on power.
“This is not an attack on Samuel Eto’o the player, whose career remains untouchable,” Nsahlai explained.
“This is about saving Cameroonian football from governance failures and ensuring transparency, integrity, and fairness.”
The scandal comes as Cameroon prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S.A, Mexico, and Canada, placing the spotlight on CAF and FIFA to act decisively.
The outcome of this legal storm will not only define Eto’o’s leadership but also test African football’s commitment to good governance.
