World football governing body FIFA has banned football legend and the president of the Cameroonian Football Association, Samuel Eto’o, from attending football matches involving the country’s national teams over violation of fair play principles at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the President of the Cameroonian Football Association (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto’o, with a six-month ban from attending matches of Cameroon’s representative teams,” FIFA said in a statement on Monday.
The sanction was imposed on the former Barcelona and Chelsea forward following his conduct during the round of 16 game between Cameroon and Brazil on 11 September at the 2024 U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which the South Americans won 3-1 after extra time.
According to FIFA, Eto’o breached the “articles 13 (Offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play) and 14 (Misconduct of players and officials) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code” and subsequently ban him from games involving the Cameroonian national teams for the next six months.
Eto’o has been informed by FIFA regarding the sanction which would come into effect immediately as Cameroon’s men face Kenya in a qualification double-header for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in October.
It is not the first time the ex-Inter man has been sanctioned by the football governing body this year over breach of principle ethics.
In July, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Eto’o $200,000 for “signing a Brand Ambassador contract with a betting organisation in exchange for remuneration.”
The CAF Disciplinary Board “found Mr Eto’o to have seriously violated the principles of ethics, integrity and sportsmanship as provided in Article 2 paragraph 3 of the CAF Statutes.”
