Fecafoot: Samuel Eto'o ruled out of a new term | OneFootball

Samuel Eto’o

In Cameroon, Samuel Eto'o will no longer be able to run for another term at the head of Fecafoot. Here’s why.

During the recent extraordinary general assembly of Fecafoot a few weeks ago, Samuel Eto'o was invited to run for another term. The Cameroonian football legend replied that he would only make his decision after careful consideration. However, this now seems impossible.

General Assembly delegate Alim Konaté consulted the Ministry of Sports (Minsep) about the statutes currently in force regarding a possible extension. The original conditions exclude any individual "convicted of a final custodial sentence without suspension exceeding three (03) months" or "convicted of a final custodial sentence with simple suspension or probation exceeding six (06) months". As a reminder, Eto'o was sentenced by Spanish courts to 22 months in prison, suspended, for tax fraud in 2022.

In a letter signed by Minsep’s secretary general, Joseph Yerima, dated August 19, the government’s response was unequivocal. It does not recognize the new regulations: "Pursuant to Article 7 of Law No. 2018/014 of July 11, 2018: ‘For their entry into force (these statutes and regulations) are subject to a compliance review by the Ministry in charge of sports, both at the time of their adoption and when modified.’ To date, no text from the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot) has met this requirement since the election of the current Executive Bureau of this Federation. Therefore, (…) only the texts in place at the election of the Fecafoot president on December 11, 2021, remain applicable as they are. Specifically, the statutes adopted on July 13, 2021, and the subsequent regulations."