![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/131309778_gettyimages-1489178870-696x392-1.jpg\" "\\"_131309778_gettyimages-1489178870\\"\/")
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Lawyers representing Samuel Eto\u2019o, the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), have denied that the former striker has been notified of legal proceedings against him.<\/p>\n
In a statement, French law firm Vey & Associes dismissed allegations made against the 42-year-old as \u201ccalumnious rumours\u201d, adding that Eto\u2019o had not been informed of any judicial action or been issued with any kind of summons.<\/p>\n
Whilst widespread media reports claimed on Friday that the four-time African Player of the Year was facing action linked to match-fixing allegations, a Cameroonian police document spoke of allegations of \u201cabuse of authority, corruption\u201d and other unnamed claims.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
These police reports appear to have been based on a redacted image of an official-looking document. Although the BBC has seen the image, it has not yet been able to obtain confirmation of its authenticity from the authorities in Cameroon.<\/p>\n
Eto\u2019o situation \u2018even more serious\u2019 than Rubiales<\/h3>\n
This is not the first time Eto\u2019o\u2019s Fecafoot presidency has come into question recently.<\/p>\n
Last week, a group of football officials in Cameroon sent an open letter to Fifa claiming that the world governing body had \u201cremained silent\u201d on allegations raised against Eto\u2019o despite \u201cnumerous complaints and reminders from Cameroonian football actors\u201d.<\/p>\n
The signatories of the letter included Fecafoot executive committee member Guibai Gatama as well as the president and vice-president of the Professional Football League of Cameroon, the organisation that runs league competitions in the country.<\/p>\n
Alleging that the former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea player \u201ccontinues to illegally impose himself on the Fecafoot presidency\u201d, the letter said the situation was \u201cperhaps even more serious\u201d than the case involving\u00a0former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales and World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, which resulted in Fifa suspending Rubiales for 90 days and initiating disciplinary proceedings against him.<\/p>\n
It also accused Fifa of operating a \u201ctwo-speed management\u201d between Africa and Europe which had allowed the continent to become \u201ca kind of enclave where you can take liberties with the ethics and exemplarity that sports leaders should embody\u201d.<\/p>\n
Responding to the letter, Vey & Associes said Eto\u2019o had launched a series of reforms to reorganise Cameroonian football leadership and was supported by \u201cthe vast majority of stakeholders\u201d.<\/p>\n
They also described the letter as \u201charmful\u201d and \u201cdefamatory\u201d, adding that Eto\u2019o\u2019s \u201cbold policy change\u201d would arouse \u201cresistance from individuals ready to do anything to avoid losing their income from corruption\u201d.<\/p>\n
In July, a group representing amateur clubs in Cameroon\u00a0called on Eto\u2019o to resign\u00a0and cited \u201cgrave irregularities\u201d within Fecafoot following an 11-1 vote by Cameroon\u2019s Amateur Clubs\u2019 Association (ACFAC) in favour of asking him to stand down.<\/p>\n
At the time, the BBC invited Fecafoot to comment on the nature of ACFAC\u2019s claims but has received no response.<\/p>\n
In August, the Confederation of African Football (Caf)\u00a0began an investigation into allegations of improper conduct made against Eto\u2019o, stating it had received \u201cwritten statements from several Cameroonian football stakeholders\u201d and would be \u201clooking into these requests based on and in accordance with the Caf statutes and regulations\u201d.<\/p>\n
A Caf statement also said that on first impression the allegations looked \u201cserious\u201d but Eto\u2019o would be \u201cpresumed innocent until an appropriate judicial body concludes otherwise\u201d.<\/p>\n
The BBC is also yet to receive comment from Fecafoot on Caf\u2019s investigation.<\/p>\n
During a glittering playing career, Eto\u2019o was named African Footballer of the Year on four occasions, won three Uefa Champions League titles and represented Cameroon 115 times, winning two Africa Cup of Nations with the Indomitable Lions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n