Commentary: CAF President tells Eto'o home truth!.

The bone of contention had been, and remains, who should employ the coach and technical staff of the Indomitable Lions? 

It degenerated into so many allegations being made against Eto'o, who was dragged to the Disciplinary Committee of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, on allegations of match-fixing and involvement in gambling. 

He was let off the hook in the match-fixing scandal but guilty and fined on the betting charge.

Since then, there seems to have been a truce between the fans of both camps not until at the weekend during the funeral ceremony of the legendary former President of the Confederation of African Football, Issa Hayatou, in his native Garoua.

The ceremony was attended by the who-is-who in the football world among them FIFA president, Gianni Infantino; his CAF counterpart, Patrice Motsepe; and our own Eto'o.

CAF President, Motsepe, the South African billionaire who I hear has investments in Cameroon and has been working to bring order in the fracas in the management of the game in the country, used the occasion to advise Eto'o, whose management of football has been poles apart from his brilliant football skills.

Motsepe was quoted in various media organs at the weekend as saying: “I ask Samuel Eto'o, president of FECAFOOT, to always work in synergy with the Cameroon government, mainly with the Minister of Sports, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, to always raise Cameroonian football higher”. 

According to Motsepe, the cordial understanding between FECAFOOT and the government would be “the most beautiful tribute that Cameroon can pay to Hayatou, the leader and the unifier”.

For Eto'o's fanatics, as I read in one of the reactions, "Motsepe is a weird person. Motsepe had asked that the texts be respected within the framework of the Eto'o procedure because no one is above the law. Now, he awkwardly acts as mediator in the mourning of the great man that was Issa Hayatou".

On the other side, those who applauded the neutral advice of the CAF boss, wrote: "Bravo Mr Motsepe, for speaking truth in front of Infantino. African states are the real financiers and supporters of football in particular and sports in general. Issa Hayatou was an example who worked in perfect harmony with Heads of State. A proverb in the Bible says: 'The fool despises reprimand, but the wise listens. May Eto’o become wise".

Although FIFA and CAF claim national football associations are "independent", that can really not be applicable in Africa, at least for now, given that the game is not yet profitable like in Europe where clubs have their own infrastructure.

Take the case of Cameroon where the government provides all the stadia, pays players and technical staff of the national team. 

Given the adage that "he who pays the piper dictates the tone", FECAFOOT is and most work in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, which represents the state and not in competition.

Postscript: Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that's no reason not to give it- Agatha Christie

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3203 of Monday August 19, 2024