Cameroon: Samuel Eto’o’s authoritarian drift X-rayed in the book “L’Arnaque”

Cameroonian journalist Jean-Bruno Tane did not choose the publication date of December 13 by chance. Fraud (Les Editions du Schabel). This coincides, in two days, with the second anniversary of the election of Samuel Eto’o as president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fekafoot) on December 11, 2021, against outgoing president Seydou Mboba Njoya. The title is outrageous, as is the subtitle: He wanted to restore the full glory of Cameroonian footballIt suggests that the former international striker has not fulfilled all his pre-election promises.

The criticism is all the more powerful because it comes from an author who knows Samuel Eto’o well. Jean-Bruno Tan was his campaign director. on a voluntary basis”, to lead the conquest of Fekafut. “In 2010, I published two books (programmed to fail) and in 2014 (The Tragedy of the Indomitable Lions), Where I did not spare him. But to my surprise, he asked me to run his campaign. There I saw a man full of enthusiasm, who had a project to get our football out of crisis. However, the president betrayed the candidate’s promises. His interim record is poor. “ He said today.

However, Jean-Bruno Tan acknowledges several successes attributed to the former national team goalscorer: the smooth functioning of professional championships, the resolution of bonus problems that polluted the life of national teams or the renewed edition of Cameroon football. “Or. For the rest, Jean-Bruno Tan offers over 260 pages of highly critical observations on the first two years of the tenure of Samuel Eto’o, known more for his prowess in front of goal than modesty.

“Decisions that will be expensive”

“Sportily– the author writes The selection results are not very good. He announced that the Lions would win the Qatar World Cup and it ended with the first round. He made decisions that would cost Fecafoot dearly, releasing Portugal’s Antonio Conceicao, who was under contract, after CAN 2022, replacing him with Rigobert Song. » Fecafoot was ordered by a Swiss federal court on November 3 to pay the former coach 1.6 million euros.

moreover, “Eto’o has decided to terminate the contract that tied his body with the equipment manufacturer Le Coq Sportif in 2022 and this could also be costly if we follow the first decisions of the French justice system.” Refers to the journalist, who also returns to the hacking suspicions weighing on the leader. A taped conversation with Victoria United (Division 2) president Valentine Nkwane caused trouble in July. If the president of Fecafoot got involved in this story and promised to organize this club in Ligue 1, it is very serious. warns Jean-Bruno Tan.

The author criticizes the management of Samuel Eto’o: “He has a big ego. He is a divisive person. He believes that he has the right to everything, decides everything himself, is essentially surrounded by people who idolize him and never oppose him. » The chapter titled “Prisoners of the President”Considers the cases of Liliane Mbog Binyet and Perfect Siki, former Marketing Director and former General Secretary of Fecafoot respectively, who were incarcerated following a complaint by their boss.

The first one was imprisoned for a few days “It’s a financial waste.” The other spent six months in Kondengui prison in Yaoundé, from where he was released on April 27. “I had a complaint from the president of the federation because I took the documents belonging to the body after my resignation. Perfect Siki says. I was appointed by his predecessor and therefore belonged to a different camp. Samuel Eto’o reigns in terror, he tries to eliminate all opponents within the federation and wants to show that he has a long arm. His ego trumps everything. »

“You can’t straighten your hump”

Joseph Antoine Bell, the former Lions goalkeeper whose relationship with Samuel Eto’o is now strained after being famously strained, has yet to read the book, but he has had some feedback. “What Jean-Bruno Thanet says from the inside is visible from the outside… Eto’o doesn’t need a conspiracy to hurt him, he does it very well on his own. You can’t straighten a hunchback! It is launched like a train that eventually derails, with unfortunate consequences for Cameroonian football. »

After the publication of the book, neither Samuel Eto’o nor the federation has made an official reaction. We were busy preparing for the Ballon d’Or, preparing for the African Cup of Nations (CAN) qualifiers. You should take the time to read it and then decide whether or not to react.”answered World Africa Jean-Marie Nkuza, Head of the Communications Department of the Federation. Pierre Crepin Niams, a candidate for the 2021 selection before leaving in favor of the former FC Barcelona and Inter Milan goalscorer, is on the other hand more vocal.

This Doctor of Information and Communication Sciences offers us a radically different perception from that of Jean-Bruno Tan. “Samuel’s assessment is satisfactory. He decided to fire Antonio Conceicao and replace him with Rigobert Song, and it’s no surprise that the new president chooses who he wants to work with. He denounced the contract with Le Coq Sportif because the partnership was not good for the body. its management? But have you heard the complaints of his colleagues? It put the focus back on the players and the federation saw the arrival of new advertisers.Appreciates the academic who sees Samuel Eto’o “A perfectionist who wants the best for his country’s football. I would prefer Jean-Bruno Thanet to wait until the end of his mandate to make a real assessment.” The author rightly claims that he will publish a new book on this topic in two years.