STATUE OF LEGENDARY FOOTBALLER AND PRESIDENT OF FECAFOOT SABOTAGED

Samuel Eto’o, the President of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), is once again in the spotlight. The monument to the retired football player in the courtyard of the Yaoundé 6 district town hall has been vandalized. Images have been circulating social media since Monday 4th March 2024 clearly showing that individuals attempted to completely destroy the monument built four years ago in honor of the player.

According to sources, the visitors committed the act on the night of the day, pulling down the former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker’s monument, which before this incident served as one of his best honors.

The reason for such barbaric action is yet to be discovered . The Yaoundé 6 district council has yet to make an official statement on this act of vandalism. This is the second time the monument has been destroyed. It has also been without its “left arm” for a very long time. This incident comes at a time when the image of the former captain of the Indomitable Lions has deteriorated sharply since he was elected as head the Cameroon Football Federation.

To build a monument to his glory is to honour him when he is still alive.  It is therefore difficult to understand this act of vandalism.

Samuel Eto’o Fils, the Cameroon football legend, was honored in Yaoundé on Monday 21st December 2020. On that famous day, the former captain of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon inaugurated a monument in his honour in the Yaoundé 6 district. For the occasion, the retired player was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the Yaoundé 6th District Municipality.

Samuel Eto’o also attended the Christmas tree ceremony organized by the Yaoundé 6th District Council through the Mayor of the said district. In Cameroon, as elsewhere in the world, Samuel Eto’o is a success story, presented by many young people as a “role model”.

Eto’o is currently experiencing a low moment as criticism about his management of FECAFOOT rises – something which could be linked to act of vandalism. Investigations are presently ongoing to find out the root cause of such act.

Delia Nyadi