Samuel Eto’o’s public support for Gianni Infantino has intensified scrutiny of financial payments linked to a Cameroon friendly in Russia, after claims that more than 567,000 euros passed through the Fecafoot president’s personal bank account.
The issue is not entirely new. Reports in Cameroon had already raised questions about a 455,056-euro payment connected to the Russia-Cameroon match in October 2023. But details published by The Times have identified a second payment and renewed attention on the absence of any known response from FIFA.
According to The Times, a further 112,514 euros was paid into Eto’o’s personal account at Qatar National Bank in Doha. In total, payments of more than 567,000 euros linked to the organisation of the friendly are said to have gone through that account.
Eto’o’s representatives previously said the arrangement was necessary because of international sanctions against Russia, which made it difficult to find a suitable banking solution.
Fecafoot has also defended its handling of the money in a lengthy statement. The organisation said decisions over the collection and use of funds generated by friendly matches had been taken collectively by its vice-presidents during emergency committee meetings.
It described the criticism as a campaign of “defamation, slander and insults” and threatened legal action.
There is currently no evidence in the information available to conclude that funds were misappropriated.
The main focus of concern is instead the lack of a known response from FIFA. Guibai Gatama, a former member of the Fecafoot executive committee, said he was not aware of any accounting or banking document showing that the money was later transferred to an official federation account or entered into Fecafoot’s accounts.
Former officials have also said they referred the matter to FIFA’s ethics committee more than a year ago, but have received no information about whether any action followed.
Gatama believes the silence has been interpreted by some people in Cameroon as evidence of political or institutional protection for Eto’o. However, that remains an allegation made by his opponents, and there is no proof that FIFA is protecting the Fecafoot president.
The timing has nevertheless drawn attention. In a recent interview with France 24, Eto’o openly backed Infantino, who is seeking to continue as FIFA president.
The former Barcelona striker said he wanted to persuade all 54 African football federation presidents to vote for the Italian-Swiss official.
Eto’o has also supported FIFA Forward Enterprise, a project that could allow private investors to become involved in commercial assets connected to the World Cup.
It would be speculative to claim that those positions explain the lack of a known response from FIFA’s ethics committee. Their coincidence, however, has provided further material for Eto’o’s critics.
The financial controversy, several disputes during his tenure and his positions within international football have left the former number nine as one of African football’s most influential and divisive figures.