Samuel Eto’o has resigned as president of the Cameroon Football Federation, stepping down just two-and-a-half years into his tenure.
His decision follows Cameroon’s underwhelming performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Ivory Coast, where the Indomitable Lions barely advanced through the group stage before losing to Nigeria in the round of 16.
Eto’o, visibly emotional, experienced a brief respite as Cameroon progressed to the round of 16, but their subsequent defeat to Nigeria prompted his resignation.
The 42-year-old, who took office in December 2021, oversaw two AFCON tournaments and the 2022 World Cup during his time as president.
His tenure was marked by controversy, including allegations of match-fixing reported by CapeMedia.Africa in September 2023.
Eto’o was accused of promising to manipulate matches to ensure Victoria United’s promotion from the second division, a claim vehemently denied by both Eto’o and Valentine Nkwain, the club president.
Moreover, Eto’o was involved in a violent altercation with an Algerian blogger during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and faced allegations of abuse of power and physical threats as reported by The Athletic.
In addition, he pleaded guilty to a $3.8 million (£2.96 million) tax fraud case related to his image rights while playing for Barcelona, receiving a suspended 22-month prison sentence and a $1.8 million (£1.4 million) fine in June 2022.
Furthermore, Eto’o’s strained relationship with Andre Onana, the Manchester United goalkeeper, has had repercussions for the national team.
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Onana was sent home from Cameroon’s World Cup squad in 2022 and briefly retired from international football due to the feud, only to reverse his decision last year.
Despite Cameroon’s ranking as the seventh-highest African team at 46th in the world, their recent performances have been disappointing.
While they secured a third-place finish at AFCON 2021, their early exit from the group stage at the 2022 World Cup and the round of 16 elimination at AFCON 2023 have underscored their struggles. Their most recent AFCON victory came in 2017.
