The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has issued a six-month ban to Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), preventing him from attending matches involving Cameroon’s national teams.
The suspension follows breaches of Articles 13 (“Offensive conduct and violations of fair play principles”) and 14 (“Misconduct by players and officials”) of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, related to Cameroon’s round of 16 loss to Brazil, 3-1 after extra time, in a match held in Bogota, Colombia, on September 11. Eto’o and the Cameroonian delegation had expressed strong dissatisfaction with the penalty that allowed Brazil to equalize during the match.
As part of the ruling, Eto’o is barred from attending any matches involving Cameroon’s national teams, regardless of gender or age group. However, this suspension does not affect his role as president of FECAFOOT.
FIFA confirmed the decision in a statement, noting, “The sanction imposed on Mr. Eto’o will prevent him from attending matches of both the men’s and women’s national teams of FECAFOOT at any category or age group.” The ban is effective immediately and has been communicated to Eto’o.
This comes after a previous fine of $200,000 imposed on Eto’o in July for an ethics violation related to a brand deal with an online gambling firm. Elected as FECAFOOT president in 2021, Eto’o has also clashed with Cameroon’s sports ministry, criticizing the appointment of Belgian Marc Brys as men’s team coach earlier this year as “illegal.”