Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) president Samuel Eto’o has been handed a four-match ban and fined about $20,000 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for what it described as “unacceptable behaviour” during Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-final defeat to Morocco.
The incident occurred during Cameroon’s exit at the hands of the tournament hosts last Friday, when Eto’o was filmed angrily reacting to refereeing decisions from the stands. Seated close to officials of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, the former Cameroon striker was seen standing up and gesticulating aggressively in their direction for nearly 30 seconds.
CAF’s disciplinary board said Eto’o had “violated the principles of sportsmanship set out in Article 2(3) of the CAF Statutes and Article 82 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.” While CAF did not explicitly outline the offence in its ruling, the sanction is understood to be related to Eto’o’s conduct during the match.
In a swift response, FECAFOOT criticised the decision, describing it as lacking “any explicit justification,” and expressed full backing for its president. The federation also raised concerns about the disciplinary process.
“FECAFOOT noted that the procedure leading to this decision raised serious issues with regard to the fundamental requirements of a fair trial,” the federation said in a statement.
“FECAFOOT reaffirms its unwavering support for its president and its commitment to respecting the principles governing a credible disciplinary justice system.”
Eto’o had already been under scrutiny before the tournament began, following a highly publicised dispute with Cameroon head coach Marc Brys, which further heightened tensions around the team’s AFCON campaign.
