Samuel Eto’o Resorts To Ahidjo’s Political Game, After Dismal Performance Of Lions At AFCON

Samuel Eto’o Resorts To Ahidjo’s Political Game, After Dismal Performance Of Lions At AFCON

– Pretentiously tender his resignation as FECAFOOT President

– If Eto’o was serious, he would have resigned over match fixing scandal

A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Cameroon Football Federation commonly known by by French acronym, FECAFOOT, held in Yaounde on Monday, February 5, 2024.
The main item on the agenda of the meeting was the examination of the participation of the men’s senior national team, the ‘Indomitable Lions’ , at the ongoing African Nations Cup, AFCON. In other words, the meeting was held to examine the record or balance sheet of the Lions at the ongoing AFCON, where the Cameroon national team made a premature exit.
The Lions were kicked out at the 1/ 8 final stage by the Super Eagles of neighbouring Nigeria. The Lions went to the ongoing AFCON 2023, with the goal being to repeat the exploits that the Cameroon national team made at the 1984 AFCON that was hosted by the same country, Ivory Coast. That was when Cameroon emerged Champion, and grabbed the AFCON trophy for the very first time.

Worst Performance At AFCON

At the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast, Cameroon played a total of four matches, out of which it lose two, drew one and won one. Cameroon was crushed by Senegal and Nigeria by 3 – 1 and 2 – 0 wins respectfully. Cameroon forced Guinea to a 1 – 1 draw, and managed a 3 – 2 win over an underdog, Gambia. Even the 3 – 2 win over Gambia was thanks to an on -goal. A Gambian player erroneously diverted the ball into his own net.
Suffice to say that the performance of the Lions at the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast, is the worst that the team has ever registered at
AFCON. For a country that has won the AFCON a record five times, much more was expected from Cameroon at AFCON 2023. But then AFCON 2023 instead turned out to be a Waterloo for the Cameroon national team.

Eto’o Tenders Résignation

Meanwhile according to a communiqué issued by the Secretary General of FECAFOOT, Blaise Djounang, the President of FECAFOOT, Samuel Eto’o Fils, tendered his resignation during the meeting of the Executive Committee of FECAFOOT, which held in Yaounde on February 5, 2024, to take stock of the participation of the Cameroon national football team at AFCON 2023, which is ongoing in Ivory Coast. Eto’o was said to had also called on the other members of the Executive Committee of FECAFOOT, to also resign.
But according to the Secretary General’s communiqué, after some exchange of views and a deliberation that followed, the members of the Executive Committee of FECAFOOT unanimously rejected the resignation of the President of FECAFOOT, Samuel Eto’o Fils. Rather the members renewed their confidence in Samuel Eto’o as President of FECAFOOT, to continue with the mission to reconstruct and develop Cameroon football.

Replaying Ahidjo’s Game

However political observers will agree that the drama that Samuel Eto’o staged at the meeting of the Executive Committee of FECAFOOT on Monday, February 5, 2024, was just more of a replay of the political game of late President Ahmadou Ahidjo. President Ahidjo adopted a dishonest political game, whereby he a times would pretentiously hint that he wanted to resign, and then naive supporters would come crying and begging for him to stay on.
. In the early 70s for example, the Congress of the Cameroon National Union, CNU, was scheduled to hold in Douala. Ahidjo was of course the National President of CNU, which was the lone political party in the country.
When Ahidjo arrived Douala for the CNU Congress, he pretentiously hinted that he did not want to continue as National President of the CNU. That was considered by CNU zealots as the end of the world.
Delphine Tsanga and some other zealots, mobilised a group of CNU women, who gathered at 5 am outside the presidential residence at Bonanjo, Douala, and started crying and pleading that Papa Ahidjo should stay on and not resign. They considered the resignation of Ahidjo as the end for Cameroon.
Ahidjo who was still in bed, was informed. He got up and sent words to the women that he had heard their plea, and so will stay on. Politics!

The Case Of Samuel Eto’o

This was definitely the same type of game that Eto’o played at the meeting of the Executive Committee of FECAFOOT yesterday. Copy work from Ahidjo’s play book. It is clear that if Eto’o really wanted to resign, he would have done so, no matter what the other members of the Executive Committee would have said.

Should The FECAFOOT President Resign?

But another question is whether the President of FECAFOOT is the one supposed to resign, after the dismal performance of the Cameroon senior national team at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast. The answer seems to be, no.
Normally when the national team performs so poorly at an international competition, it is the head coach and not the President of Federation that resigns. We have seen some cases at the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast. The head coach of the Algerian national team announced his resignation after the team’s dismal performance. The head coach of Ivory Coast also resigned. Apparently the head coach of Guinea Conakry also resigned.

Song Goes Silent

The person that Cameroonians have been expecting to tender his resignation, after the disastrous performance of the country’s national team at the ongoing AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast, is the head coach, Song Bahanag. But so far the man has been silent, and has showed no signs that he intends to resign. An allegation has however been floating, that Song’s contract which expires at the end of this month, will not be renewed. That is however a matter of wait and see.
It should also be said that there is a reason for Eto’o to also feel guilty over Song’s poor record as head coach of the senior national team in the last two years, that Song has been head coach of the Indomitable Lions. Eto’o as President of FECAFOOT refused to listen to voices of reason and wisdom, and forcefully placed Song as head coach of the Indomitable Lions (senior national team). He did it despised the fact Song woefully failed as head coach of two junior categories of the Cameroonian’s nation teams,

Match Fixing Scandal

Meanwhile lots of scandals have sparked off here and there since Samuel Eto’o became President of FECAFOOT. One of them in particular, the match fixing mafia that involved him and his friend of Victoria United, necessitated his resignation as President of FECAFOOT, to save the image of Cameroon football. But he refused to resign.

Huge Debts Owed By FECAFOOT

Meanwhile Eto’o should also be told that if he wants to resign as FECAFOOT President, he should first of all clear the debts in which he has plunged FECAFOOT.
There is for example the 2 billion FCFA debt owed the State of Cameroon by FECAFOOT. The money was borrowed by FECAFOOT from the State of Cameroon, for the Qatar World Cup.. Despite an official reminder, the money has till date not been repaid.
There is also the little over 1 billion FCFA that FECAFOOT is supposed to pay to former head coach of the Indomitable Lions, Antonio Conceicao, as compensation, following wrongful termination of his contract by FECAFOOT, or better still, by the President of the FECAFOOT, Samuel Eto’o. And this happened because Eto’o was bent on making Song Bahanag head coach of the senior national team. Look at the embarrassments that Song has caused him! If only Eto’o had listened!