By Sekaggya Seka Moses
Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) president Samuel Eto’o has been banned from attending national team matches for six months, football’s governing body announced.
The disciplinary action stems from Eto’o’s behavior during the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup round-of-16 match between Brazil and Cameroon on September 11, 2024, in Bogota, Colombia.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee found Eto’o guilty of “offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play” and “misconduct” involving officials. The specifics of the incidents were not disclosed.
Consequently, Eto’o will be barred from attending all men’s and women’s national team matches across various age groups for six months. However, this sanction does not affect his role as Fecafoot president.
This is not Eto’o’s first disciplinary issue. In July, he was fined $200,000 for an ethics violation related to a brand deal with an online gambling firm, ruled by the Confederation of African Football.
Additionally, Eto’o has been involved in conflicts with Cameroon’s sports ministry, criticizing their appointment of Belgian Marc Brys as the men’s team coach earlier this year as “illegal.”
A four-time African Player of the Year, Eto’o is the second most-capped player in Cameroon’s history, behind Rigobert Song.
He enjoyed an illustrious club career, winning the Champions League four times with three different teams.
In 2022, Eto’o was filmed attacking a man outside a stadium during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar following a heated exchange and confrontation.