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Cameroon Police have opened an investigation into match-fixing claims against Barcelona legend Samuel Eto'o. The 42-year-old is alleged to have played a key role in getting Victoria United promoted to the first division.
Eto'o has been president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) since December 2021. A recent audio leak has suggested that the former Barcelona star was part of a large group that was fixing games in Cameroon's second-tier. According to The Guardian, a letter from Cameroonian police stated that they are currently interviewing several key witnesses involved with the fixing group.
In the recording that was transcribed by The Guardian, Eto'o was heard saying:
"Don’t worry, we’ll give you your three points and we will suspend the referee. Opopo [Victoria’s nickname] must go up to the first division. This is our goal. This is our federation. Victoria United will go up."
Eto'o dismissed all claims of foul play, telling Gazzetta dello Sport in June that his comments on the recording were not related to match fixing in any way. He said:
"Talking to a friend, someone who invests in football and wants to make his club one of the best in Cameroon. I just reassured him by saying that I would have done everything possible to avoid any refereeing errors against him."
CAF opened an investigation on Samuel Eto'o in August for alleged improper conduct, but no action has been taken against the 42-year-old so far.
Letter against Samuel Eto'o sent to FIFA and CAF
A group of Cameroonian football personalities, including Pierre Semengue, President of the Professional Football League of Cameroon, have written a letter urging FIFA and CAF to look into Samuel Eto'o's many misconducts as President of FECAFOOT.
The letter not only brought up the recent match-fixing allegations involving Eto'o, but also mentioned the suspended prison sentence the former player received in a tax fraud case, a violent incident in which Eto'o allegedly kneed a man in the face during the Qatar World Cup, and the ex-Barcelona star's ambassador deal with sports betting company 1XBET. The letter read:
"Not a word has been heard from FIFA, 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 continued:
"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. 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?”
FIFA are yet to comment on Samuel Eto'o and the match-fixing allegations. Earlier this month, Infantino was pictured together with Eto’o in France, the pair meeting to discuss “football development”, according to the letter.
