Cameroon Football Association president Samuel Eto’o is facing fresh questions over the handling of €567,570 paid by Russia for an international friendly, after documents reportedly showed that the money was directed to his personal bank account in Qatar.
The payment was linked to Cameroon’s friendly against Russia in Moscow in October 2023, with documents reviewed by The Times reportedly showing that the Russian Football Union was instructed to make two payments of €455,056 and €112,514 into an account held by Eto’o at Qatar National Bank in Doha.
The allegations have raised concerns over the financial management of the Cameroon Football Association, FECAFOOT, which Eto’o has led since 2021.
Former FECAFOOT officials have reportedly complained to FIFA’s ethics committee, saying they have been unable to establish how the money was handled after it reached Eto’o’s personal account.
Guibai Gatama, a former member of FECAFOOT’s executive committee, said there was no accounting or banking documentation showing that the funds were subsequently transferred to an official federation account or properly reflected in FECAFOOT’s financial records.
The documents reportedly include the contract for the Russia-Cameroon friendly as well as correspondence from FECAFOOT officials requesting that the payment be made to Eto’o’s account in Qatar.
A letter dated 2 October 2023 and signed by then FECAFOOT national-team coordinator Benoît Angbwa reportedly requested the transfer of €455,056, representing 80% of the participation fee, to Eto’o’s private account.
The key issue surrounding the payment is whether there was a legitimate reason for using the president’s personal account and, if so, whether the full amount was subsequently transferred to FECAFOOT and properly accounted for.
Reports in Cameroon have previously suggested that sanctions affecting Russian financial transactions may have contributed to the arrangement. One explanation cited difficulties with international payments and the absence of an appropriate foreign-currency account outside Cameroon.
Former federation officials, however, have questioned that explanation and called for the transactions to be fully accounted for.
Eto’o’s FIFA relationship also under scrutiny
The allegations come as Eto’o’s relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino faces renewed attention.
Eto’o was recently referenced in a FIFA legal filing in the United States concerning the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which sought to attract private investment into commercial interests connected to the World Cup.
The initiative, which was eventually abandoned following opposition from UEFA and other football bodies, was projected to generate billions of dollars.
FIFA’s legal response to UEFA’s efforts to obtain documents in US courts cited support for the proposal from several football figures, including Eto’o.
UEFA accused Infantino and those around him of seeking to commercialise interests in FIFA’s most valuable assets, allegations FIFA rejected while describing UEFA’s legal campaign as a “smear campaign”.
Eto’o’s support for the proposal has consequently added to scrutiny of his relationship with FIFA’s leadership.
Former FECAFOOT officials have questioned whether that relationship could have influenced the handling of complaints submitted to FIFA’s ethics committee concerning the Russia payment.
FIFA has rejected any suggestion that Infantino can influence its judicial bodies, maintaining that its ethics and disciplinary structures operate independently.
