Cameroonian football legend Samuel Eto’o, now president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), has been handed a six-month ban from attending any international matches involving Cameroon by FIFA’s disciplinary panel.
The former Barcelona and Chelsea striker’s sanction comes after violations of two articles from FIFA’s disciplinary code during the Under-20 Women’s World Cup last-16 match between Cameroon and Brazil on 11 September, where Cameroon lost 3-1 after extra time.
FIFA cited breaches related to offensive behaviour, misconduct, and violations of fair play principles during the match in Bogota, Colombia, which Eto’o attended. The 43-year-old is now barred from attending all matches involving Cameroon’s national men’s and women’s teams, across all age groups.
The ban took immediate effect, and Eto’o has been informed of the decision, leaving him unable to attend Cameroon’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games against Kenya in October.
This is not Eto’o’s first disciplinary issue. In July, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined him $200,000 for breaching ethics rules after signing a contract to be an ambassador for betting company 1XBET. While Eto’o’s legal team is appealing the CAF ruling, his controversies as Fecafoot president have continued.
Since his election in 2021, Eto’o has faced criticism from within Cameroon’s football circles, with accusations of irregularities at Fecafoot, and one former teammate labelling him a dictator due to his leadership style.