Samuel Eto’o faces fresh legal challenge over Cameroon-Russia match funds

A complaint alleging the misappropriation of funds has been filed against Samuel Eto’o at Cameroon’s Special Criminal Court, putting the president of the Federation Camerounaise de Football (Fecafoot) under renewed pressure.

A delegation from the Association of Amateur Football Clubs of Cameroon (ACFAC), led by Abdouraman Hamadou Baba, submitted the case at the Tribunal criminel special (TCS) in Yaounde.

The complaint concerns more than 567,000 euros linked to Cameroon’s friendly against Russia in October 2023. Until now, the issue had largely been driven by media reports, but the filing means the handling of the money is now formally before the Cameroonian justice system.

Documents published by The Times indicate that two payments of 455,056 euros and 112,514 euros were made into an account held in Samuel Eto’o’s name at Qatar National Bank in Doha.

The two transactions totalled 567,570 euros, funds which were intended for Fecafoot. Eto’o’s representatives previously attributed the arrangement to banking difficulties caused by international sanctions against Russia.

Fecafoot has defended its conduct and rejected what it called a campaign of “defamation” and “slander”. Eto’o also responded publicly after the initial allegations appeared in the European press.

The ACFAC is now asking the TCS to examine how the money was transferred and how it was subsequently used. The case therefore takes the dispute beyond media coverage and Eto’o’s disagreements with opponents inside the federation.

The legal action comes during a presidency marked by repeated disputes and controversy. Eto’o has been involved in a prolonged confrontation with the Ministry of Sports over the Marc Brys affair, while also facing tensions with several figures in Cameroonian football.

His public support for Gianni Infantino has added to criticism from his opponents. The Fecafoot president had openly positioned himself behind Infantino’s next campaign as FIFA president, bringing further attention to his relationship with international football authorities.

Eto’o had recently experienced a rare period of unity during his time leading the federation when the Indomitable Lionesses won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. That success briefly pushed the institutional disputes into the background.

The respite has now ended, with the 567,570 euros connected to the match against Russia again placing Eto’o’s administration at the centre of public scrutiny. The next steps will depend on decisions taken by the Tribunal criminel special.