The president of FECAFOOT has been in hot water for several months now. Under investigation by CAF, Samuel Eto’o can rely on Constant Omari, former general secretary and interim president of the Confederation of African Football, who has just made poignant confessions.
It’s no longer a secret that Samuel Eto’o is going through terrible times in his life as a sports leader. A former footballer, loved and appreciated by Cameroonians and football enthusiasts alike, the all-time leading scorer for the Indomitable Lions hasn’t exactly been winning everyone over since taking the helm at FECAFOOT.
Since his arrival in 2021 to revitalize football in his country, the former footballer has faced strong opposition. From accusations by former teammates to some sports officials, Eto’o is being challenged from all sides.
Omari’s revelations
For several months now, complaints have been weighing against him at the level of the institution led by Patrice Motsepe and FIFA under Gianni Infantino. Buffeted from all sides, the former FC Barcelona striker (2004-2009, 190 matches for 130 goals) can count on a significant supporter in the African football world: Constant Omari. Indeed, in an interview with journalist Richard Nana, the 66-year-old Congolese, who has passed through CAF as former general secretary and interim president (November 13, 2020, to March 2021), revealed the machinations aimed at bringing down Samuel Eto’o.
“The mistake of CAF was to communicate before starting the procedure. Samuel Eto’o, with his independent spirit, went on the offensive by counterattacking before the wine was drawn. The puppet master in this affair is not even the general secretary of CAF or the ethics committee, so one must look elsewhere. There are several denunciations of match-fixing in Africa but CAF does not communicate in this way,” first stated the towering figure in African football, as reported by Camfoot.
“The forces of evil are trying to divide the former players”
Very close to the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, whom he recently supported (at the funeral of his father), Constant Omari did not hesitate to denounce low blows. According to the former president of FECOFA (Congolese Association Football Federation), the head of the Cameroonian legend was demanded for his displayed “independence” from the moment he took office.
“From the day Samuel Eto’o showed his independent spirit at the helm of FECAFOOT, his fate was sealed. So what we’re experiencing today is the unfolding of the process. In 2025, there will be elections for the CAF executive committee and some members will be renewed, so a former ally of Samuel turned enemy. He knows he will struggle to get Samuel’s endorsement as president of FECAFOOT for reelection.”
🔴 Constant Omari, ancien président intérimaire de la CAF, se prononce sur les enjeux d'une suspension de Samuel Eto'o :
— The Cameroonian 🇨🇲 (@TheCameroonianZ) April 29, 2024
« Dès le jour ou Samuel Eto'o a affiché son indépendance d'esprit à la tête de la FECAFOOT, sa mort était programmée… » pic.twitter.com/k3p5hqsSLz
“So they started the process to push Motsepe to change this status. If CAF fails to amend the texts before the elections, Samuel must be liquidated as soon as possible to install someone from the same side who can ensure their survival. That’s why you see how they start to oppose former players. If Cameroonian former players lose control of the federation, they won’t have it anymore. The forces of evil are trying to divide the former players,” Omari warned later.
In any case, the message from the former CAF boss replacing Ahmad Ahmad, suspended at the moment, got through. If Samuel Eto’o should rejoice, he will have to wait for the conclusions of the ongoing investigations to know what awaits him. The boss of FECAFOOT cannot count on Patrice Motsepe, who made a very clear statement about his case a few days ago on France 24.
What do you think of Constant Omari’s revelations?
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