Fécafoot: Samuel Eto'o faces complaint over alleged embezzlement

Fresh turmoil at the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fécafoot). On Monday 23 June 2025, Guibai Gatama, a member of the governing body's Executive Committee, announced that he had lodged a complaint against president Samuel Eto'o with the Ethics Commission. In a press release issued late in the day, he accuses the former Cameroon international of improperly receiving, into a personal account, a sum of 455,000 euros paid by the Russian Football Union (RFU) for the Cameroon-Russia friendly of 12 October 2023. In his view, the payment should have gone exclusively through Fécafoot's official channels.

"It is unacceptable for funds belonging to the Federation to be held in a personal account, even that of its president", writes Guibai Gatama, who cites alleged offences of "corruption, embezzlement and complicity in embezzlement, offences provided for and punishable under articles 21.2 and 27 of Fécafoot's Code of Ethics". The journalist adds that the complaint also targets Benoît Angbwa, former general coordinator of Cameroon's national teams, and Blaise Djounang, former secretary general of Fécafoot. According to the documents attached to the complaint, the contract between the RFU and Fécafoot, the transfer order to Samuel Eto'o's private account and the Russian federation's confirmation of the payment have all reportedly been added to the file.

Fécafoot's deafening silence

Samuel Eto'o's defence rests on circumstantial justifications. According to an anonymous source within the Federation, the disputed transaction was reportedly "approved by the Emergency Committee" of Fécafoot, because of constraints imposed by the international geopolitical context and the economic sanctions affecting Russia. The same source says the funds in question have since been paid back into the Federation's account. Guibai Gatama does not mention this version in his press release, preferring to stick to internal documents that have leaked online.

"Fécafoot is a shared heritage and cannot be treated as the property of an individual or a group", insists Guibai Gatama, who presents his action as a continuation of his commitment to "ethics, transparency and exemplary conduct" since the start of the term of office in December 2021. Against this backdrop, the silence of the federation's leaders in the face of the recent revelations is surprising. Since these compromising financial documents leaked, Fécafoot has issued no official denial. Neither Samuel Eto'o nor the other officials implicated have publicly responded to dispute or clarify the facts disclosed. This prolonged silence from the governing body, while the affair continues to cause a stir among the public, fuels further questions about governance practices at the head of the Federation.