Africa football legend Samuel Eto’o has come under a barrage of legal actions in Cameroon.
The coordinated litigations against the Presidential of Cameroon’s Football Federation FECAFOOT have been filed before the country’s Ministry of Sports, FIFA and the Confederation of African Football, CAF.
Spearheading the legal battle, on behalf of a coalition of Cameroonian football stakeholders, is an international lawyer Emmanuel Nsahlai.
The case with the the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education of Cameroon (MINSEP), is demanding the application of national law and a review of the FECAFOOT statutes.
The aggrieved stakeholders also petitioned the FIFA Ethics Committee in Zurich, requesting implementation of procedures under the FIFA Code of Ethics, which includes provisional suspension of Eto’o for alleged conflicts of interest, financial irregularities and electoral manipulation.
The litigation with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is calling for all files to be transmitted to FIFA and for Eto’o to be suspended from the CAF Executive Committee for allegedly concealing his criminal conviction in Spain.
The key accusations against Eto’o and his management at FECAFOOT focus on the following points.
Conviction in Spain for tax fraud (22 months in prison).
Corruption and possible match fixing.
Conflict of interest with the betting company 1xBet.
Alleged diversion of 1.5 million dollars from friendly matches (Cameroon–Mexico, Cameroon–Russia, Cameroon–Korea).
Arbitrary suspension for 10 years of a member of the Executive Committee, Guibai Gatama, to silence the opposition.
Electoral manipulation through statutory reforms that make independent candidacies difficult.
“This is not an attack on Samuel Eto’o as a player. His football career is untouchable,” said the lawyer Emmanuel Nsahlai.
This is about rescuing the governance of Cameroonian football so that it represents the values of excellence, integrity and fair play that he himself defended on the field.
My duty, as a lawyer and Cameroonian, is to fight for a federation that serves the people, the players and the future of sport.
Samuel Eto’o is considered the best footballer in the history of Cameroon and one of the greatest sporting icons in Africa.
However, under his presidency, the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT) faces a deep crisis of integrity, with accusations that could destroy his legacy and put the future of national football at risk.
Writing by Kelechi Bernard