Samuel Eto’o has been targeted by a complaint before Cameroon’s Special Criminal Court over the handling of funds linked to the national team’s friendly against Russia in October 2023.
The complaint was filed in Yaoundé by the Association of Amateur Football Clubs of Cameroon (ACFAC), led by Abdouraman Hamadou Baba, and names Eto’o and the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot) in connection with the management of the match revenue.
At the centre of the complaint is €567,570 paid in connection with the fixture, which was played in Moscow on October 12, 2023.
Documents previously reported by The Times and examined by Cameroonian media show two payments of €455,056 and €112,514. The documents reportedly identify an account in Eto’o’s name at Qatar National Bank in Doha as the destination for the funds.
The issue raised by the complainants is what happened to the money after it was transferred to the account.
Fecafoot has previously defended its handling of the funds, while explanations attributed to Eto’o’s side have pointed to banking difficulties linked to international sanctions against Russia as the reason the payment passed through his account.
The complaint now moves the dispute from media reports and public exchanges into Cameroon’s judicial system, where the authorities will determine whether there is a basis for further proceedings.
Abdouraman’s latest action is part of a wider dispute with Eto’o’s administration. Reports indicate that ACFAC is also seeking an investigation into the financial management of other international friendlies involving Cameroon.
Eto’o has rejected the broader allegations surrounding the Russia payment, describing the renewed scrutiny as a coordinated campaign against him. Fecafoot has similarly pushed back against what it has characterised as attacks on its president.
The former Cameroon captain has also faced heightened scrutiny over his public support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, although the timing of that relationship and the current allegations should be distinguished from any finding of wrongdoing.
For now, the complaint represents an allegation rather than a judicial finding. No conviction or court determination establishing that Eto’o misappropriated the €567,570 has been reported in connection with the Russia match.
The next stage will depend on how Cameroon’s Special Criminal Court handles the complaint and whether investigators open formal proceedings into the management of the funds.
