FERW, an independent news organization dedicated to promoting transparency, integrity, and accountability in the game of football, has issued a resounding call to FIFA, the world’s governing body for football, to intervene decisively and remove Samuel Eto’o from his position as President of the Cameroon Football Association (FECAFOOT).
Amid mounting concerns and controversy surrounding Eto’o’s leadership, FERW News joins the chorus of voices seeking to address the issues at hand. Eto’o, the former Barcelona striker and iconic football figure, has come under intense scrutiny due to a series of alarming incidents that have cast a shadow over FECAFOOT’s governance.
A joint letter, co-addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe, has been issued by a group of Cameroonian officials. The letter raises vital questions regarding Eto’o’s continued tenure at the helm of FECAFOOT, alleging that his presence represents an “illegal” intrusion into the organization’s leadership structure.
At the core of this controversy is a CAF investigation initiated in August, triggered by leaked audio recordings that implicated Eto’o in a match-fixing scandal. Despite vehemently denying these allegations, Eto’o, now 42 years old, faces severe questions about his involvement. He maintains that he was merely conversing with a friend who had vested interests in football, expressing a desire to prevent any refereeing errors in his favor.
FERW News stands firmly behind the concerns raised in the group’s letter, which includes prominent figures such as Pierre Semengue, President of the Professional Football League of Cameroon, and former FECAFOOT Vice-President Henry Njalla Quan Junior. The failure to take decisive action against the FECAFOOT chief, according to the group, strikes at the heart of football’s principles of integrity, ethics, and fair play.
The group’s letter further cites Eto’o’s suspended prison sentence in a tax fraud case, suggesting that, by FECAFOOT’s own statutes, he should have vacated his role following the verdict. It also references a disturbing incident in which Eto’o was captured on video kneeing a man in the face during the World Cup in Qatar.
FERW News also highlights the contentious endorsement deal between Samuel Eto’o and sports betting company 1XBET, which the group asserts is a “flagrant violation” of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
FERW News emphasises the urgency of the situation and reminds FIFA of the swift response taken by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) when dealing with issues of misconduct, such as the removal of Luis Rubiales from the presidency following his inappropriate actions post-Women’s World Cup. FERW News questions FIFA’s silence, despite numerous complaints and reminders from Cameroonian football stakeholders.
In conclusion, FERW News calls upon FIFA to uphold the principles of integrity, ethics, and fair play that lie at the heart of the beautiful game. It asserts that the credibility of football’s governing bodies, both on the African continent and globally, is at stake. FERW News poses the question of whether FIFA would remain silent if a European football federation president were suspected of match-fixing or entered into a personal ambassadorship contract with a sports betting operator.
FERW News remains committed to transparency and accountability in football and implores FIFA to act swiftly in addressing the pressing concerns surrounding Samuel Eto’o’s leadership of FECAFOOT.
