Police in Cameroon have opened an investigation into claims that Samuel Eto’o was part of a match-fixing scandal.

The former Barcelona striker, who has been president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) since December 2021, was accused of helping to fix matches in Cameroon’s second tier in July after a recording of him speaking to someone alleged to be Valentine Nkwain, the president of Victoria United and known as ‘Bobdidy’, was made public. According to Camfoot, Eto’o allegedly promised to promote the club from the second division by manipulating matches – a claim denied by the former striker and by Nkwain, who has said it was not his voice on the recording.

Police have confirmed in a letter, seen by the Guardian, that they have opened an investigation into alleged “abuse of authority and corruption”. They are understood to have interviewed several key witnesses involved in the case. The investigation will also look into wider accusations of corruption at Fecafoot during Eto’o’s tenure, which it is believed could involve up to 40 people.

On the recording, Eto’o is alleged to have informed Nkwain that “there are things we can do” regarding a game in which Victoria were beaten 1-0 in December last year “but you have to be very discreet, brother”. “Don’t worry, we’ll give you your three points and we will suspend the referee,” he is alleged to have said. “Opopo [Victoria’s nickname] must go up to the first division. This is our goal. This is our federation. Victoria United will go up.” Victoria went on to be promoted in April.

Eto’o told the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in June that he had been “talking to a friend, someone who invests in football and wants to make his club one of the best in Cameroon”. He said: “I just reassured him by saying that I would have done everything possible to avoid any refereeing errors against him.”

The news comes after a group of Cameroon’s football officials called on Fifa to take action against Eto’o after a series of public incidents, including a “violent altercation” with an Algerian journalist at the World Cup in Qatar last year. The group – which includes Pierre Semengue, president of the Professional Football League of Cameroon – have written a letter jointly addressing Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Patrice Motsepe, questioning how the former striker has been allowed to continue “to illegally impose himself on the Fecafoot presidency”.

An investigation into “certain alleged improper conduct” of Eto’o was opened by CAF in early August but no action has been taken.

“Not a word has been heard from Fifa,” the letter reads, “despite numerous complaints and reminders from Cameroonian football actors. How can Fifa continue to remain silent in the face of so many scandals that compromise public confidence in sporting ethics and the sincerity of matches?”

The letter was also critical of Infantino after he and Eto’o were pictured together earlier this month in France to discuss “football development”.

“The sad reality … is that Africa remains a kind of enclave where you can take liberties with the ethics and exemplarity that sports leaders should embody,” the letter says. “Can you imagine Fifa and Uefa remaining silent when the president of a European football federation is suspected of match-fixing, with audio recordings to back it up?”

Source: Guardian

A nervy Cameroon scored twice in the second half to beat Burundi 3-0 in Garoua on Tuesday and qualify for January’s Africa Cup of Nations finals, overcoming their plucky opponents as Andre Onana marked his return to the team with a series of key saves.

Cameroon had needed to win the game to ensure a place in the finals. Victory saw them finish top of three-team Group C and also ensured that Namibia would qualify with them while Burundi missed out.

Bryan Mbeumo took advantage of a defensive slip to score one minute into the second half before defender Christopher Wooh swept home the ball from close range for the second goal in the 59th minute.

Wooh had missed the header from a corner by Karl Toko Ekambi but it fell loose and he was quick to sweep it home.

A clearance that came off the back of a defender allowed captain Vincent Aboubakar to score the third goal deep in stoppage time.

Burundi had needed only a draw and, despite their lowly ranking 98 places below the 42nd-ranked Indomitable Lions, came out the more positive team and Onana had to make several key stops to deny both Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana and Saidi Ntibazonzika.

Onana was making his return to the side after a fallout with coach Rigobert Song during the World Cup in Qatar last year which resulted in him being kicked out of their camp.

The new Manchester United goalkeeper showed his worth as Cameroon won for the first time since their 1-0 victory over Brazil in Qatar in their last group game in December.

With Group C settled, the field for the 24-team Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast from Jan. 13-Feb. 11 next year is complete.

Source: Reuters

A 31-year-old Cameroonian nurse from Bologna became Italian lightweight boxing champion Friday night just a year after getting Italian citizenship.

Pamela Noutcho’s dream has come true after she beat her challenger in Casoria (Naples) in the match for the belt.

Pamela Malvina Nooutcho Sawa has lived in Italy since she was 8 years old, after reuniting with her father who had left Cameroon for study and work.

Source: ANSA.It

At the Fédération Camerounaise de Football (Fécafoot), the implementation of the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport declaring the resolutions of the General Assembly of August 27, 2022 “null and void” is meeting with resistance.

Fécafoot and its president continue to resist CAS resolutions

In Cameroon, the ball isn’t always rolling. The stadiums have given way to a veritable legal battlefield. The situation has not improved since the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued its verdict on August 15, 2023 in the case between Guibaï Gatama et al. and the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot).

CAS declared “null and void” the resolutions taken by Fécafoot at its General Assembly on August 27, 2022. The ruling was intended to restore order to Cameroonian soccer, but has met with fierce resistance from the body headed by former footballer Samuel Eto’o.

The François Kouedem case

One of the most contentious points in this affair revolves around François Kouedem, who has been suspended from his position as president of the Ligue de l’Ouest for almost two years. Fécafoot maintains its position, even though article 15 paragraph 2 of its statutes stipulates that: “Any suspension must be confirmed at the next General Meeting by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the valid votes cast, failing which it is immediately lifted.”

In the opinion of a legal expert who requested anonymity, the resolutions of the Fécafoot General Assembly of August 27, 2022 were declared null and void by CAS. “Consequently, Mr. Kouedem’s suspension is automatically lifted. That’s what the Statutes say”, explains the expert.

The case of jurisdictional bodies

At its August 27, 2022 session, the Fécafoot General Assembly elected the members of its various jurisdictional bodies. This point was included in resolution N°15 of the final communiqué of the meeting. As the CAS has declared resolution N°15 null and void,” explains the lawyer, “the members elected to the jurisdictional bodies at the Assembly of August 27, 2022 automatically lose their status, and the decisions taken by them since the date of their election are simply null and void.

The problem is that Fécafoot doesn’t have the same approach. It maintains the bodies dissolved by CAS. Thus, on September 4 2023, the president of the Ethics Chamber notified Donald Ngameni, president of the Unisport club in Haut Nkam, of his definitive exclusion from all football-related activities. A decision deemed “illegal and illegitimate (which) attests to Fécafoot’s determination not to comply with the rules governing the practice of soccer at national and international level”, argue Ngameni’s counsel. They promise to take the case to CAS.

The Panthère and Ligue de Football Professionnel cases

Following his logic, the General Secretary of Fécafoot also announced that Panthère du Ndé would remain in the second division, and that the Professional Football League of Cameroon (LFPC), which should be rehabilitated, would be dissolved. “This is a denial of reality on the part of the Federation, which is showing extreme bad faith in its assessment of the CAS ruling”, reacted a former Fécafoot employee.

For him, there is no doubt that the orders came from the boss of Cameroonian soccer. A Samuel Eto’o who “remains in a posture of arm-wrestling and settling scores with all those soccer players who have dared to criticize his mode of governance”, he says.

What Fécafoot risks

It is important to note that article 14 paragraph 1.a of the FIFA Statutes stipulates that member associations are obliged to observe at all times the Statutes, regulations, directives and decisions of FIFA’s governing bodies, as well as those of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Paragraph 3 of the same article implies that the violation of paragraph 1.a entails sanctions. These range from “temporary suspension with immediate effect” to “exclusion” of the member association concerned by the FIFA Council.

Fécafoot may well be in for a nasty surprise, as certain stakeholders, notably the Panthère du Ndé club, have already referred the matter to FIFA, pointing out Fécafoot’s failure to comply with the CAS decision of August 15, 2023. This affair is far from over.

Source: Sports News Africa

Cameroon international striker Bryan Mbeumo scored in stoppage time to help Brentford salvage a 2-2 draw against winless Bournemouth in the English Premier League on Saturday.

The Cherries were poised for their first league victory after David Brooks scored in the 77th minute following a defensive error to take a 2-1 lead.

But Mbeumo collected a long ball from Nathan Collins, drove to the net and put a left-footed shot past Neto in the 93rd.

Mathias Jensen gave Brentford an early lead by beating Neto to the near post on a curling free kick from wide on the left in the seventh minute. Dominic Solanke equalized for the visitors in the 30th.

It’s the third league draw for the unbeaten Bees.

In the buildup to Brooks’ goal, Brentford’s Rico Henry tracked down a long ball and tried to pass back to goalkeeper Mark Flekken, but it was weakly struck and easily collected by Marcus Tavernier, who played it to Brooks at the far post to finish.

Neal Maupay did not dress for Brentford after returning to the club on Friday on a season-long loan from Everton. The striker scored 41 goals for Brentford over two seasons before leaving for Brighton in 2019.

Bournemouth expects newly signed midfielder Tyler Adams to return after the international break. The U.S. captain, who is nearly at full strength after hamstring surgery, transferred from relegated Leeds last month.

The Cherries have two draws and two losses in league play.

After the international break, Brentford faces Newcastle on Sept. 17, when Bournemouth hosts Chelsea.

Source: AP

Manchester United’s new goalkeeper Andre Onana has been recalled to Cameroon’s squad some nine months after he walked out on the team during the World Cup in Qatar.

Onana was named on Tuesday by coach Rigobert Song in the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Burundi in Garoua on Sept. 12, where the Indomitable Lions need only a draw to guarantee a place at January’s finals in the Ivory Coast.

Onana, 27, left the Cameroon squad in Qatar last November after their opening group game against Switzerland following a dispute with Song over tactics and training.

The Cameroon Football Federation said he was suspended and had been sent home and he has not played for the country since, having announced his retirement from international football.

But on Tuesday at a press conference in Yaounde, Song denied there had been a problem with Onana and said it was natural that as the best available goalkeeper he was in the squad.

“There was never a problem with Andre, the door has always been open to him and we are happy he is coming back to join the group,” said Song.

Source: Reuters

Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) president Samuel Eto’o on Thursday urged his supporters not to give up following widespread criticisms of how he has been managing the football governing body.

“Peace and serenity to those who support me in my project to restore all the greatness to Cameroonian football. We endure the violence of adversity, but let’s not give in to it,” Eto’o said in a statement published on his Facebook page.

“Our intentions are noble, our strength is our faith in a better future for our young footballers. We will achieve this with the help of Cameroonians. Strength and courage to you, my friends,” the former Barcelona striker added.

The statement came barely two weeks after the Confederation of African Football announced that it had opened an investigation into “allegations of inappropriate conduct” by Eto’o following complaints from “several Cameroonian football stakeholders”.

Eto’o was elected the FECAFOOT president in 2021.

Source: Xinhuanet

Saudi Arabia club, Abha FC have completed the signing of Cameroonian winger, Karl Toko Ekambi, in the summer transfer window.

The 30-year-old signed a two-year deal to join the Saudi Pro League from French giants Olympique Lyonnais.

The Cameroon international was unveiled after signing all necessary documents and will be expected to join the team ahead of Friday’s clash against Al Taawoun.

“Abha Club signed a professional contract with the Cameroonian striker Karl Ekambi until 2025. The club was represented at the signing ceremony by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Ahmed Al-Hadithi,” wrote Abha on social media.

Ekambi, who spent last season on loan at Stade Rennais, joins the Saudi Arabian club in a deal worth € 1.5m plus €500,000 in bonuses, as reported by Olympique Lyonnais.

“Olympique Lyonnais informs of the transfer of Karl Toko-Ekambi to the Saudi Pro League club, Abha FC, for an amount of 1.5 M€ to which may be added 500 K€ in bonuses,” wrote the French outfit.

He made 114 appearances for the Ligue 1 club, scoring 38 goals.

Source: Sportsbrief

Andre Onana is set to return to his national team side after solving a dispute with Cameroon manager Rigobert Song, according to reports.

Manchester United summer signing quit international football during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a disagreement with the head coach.

The blame for the fallout with Onana has gone to Samuel Eto’o, the president of the Cameroon football federation. It is believed he wanted to get rid of the keeper at all costs.

But, much to our disappointment, it looks like Onana has solved his differences with Song. That means we’ll likely be without Onana throughout the African Cup of Nations.

According to Actu Foot Afrique, Onana will return to the Cameroon squad in September for the next international break.

This comes as a boost for Cameroon ahead of the AFCON, which is due to take place between 13 January and 11 February 2024.

Whereas for United, this has thrown a big spanner in the works, and now football director John Murtough is in a race against time to sign a new keeper before the transfer deadline.

United have been linked to Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir to come in as a new back-up option. That could be our fall back option during the AFCON.

Tom Heaton will third-choice keeper at the club but he’s currently out with an injury.

Source: Manchester United news