Sports

CAF fines Eto’o $200k for ethical breaches

Published

3 months ago

July 5, 2024

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fined Cameroon’s football legend and current president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), Samuel Eto’o, the sum of $200,000 for an ethics breach, but freed him on charges related to allegations of match-fixing as the football governing body could not find sufficient evidence to pursue the allegations.

CAF had opened an investigation into Eto’o’s conduct in August last year after allegedly receiving written statements from several Cameroonian football stakeholders.

Eto’o was, last month, invited by a disciplinary panel set up by CAF and after its investigations, the panel said the four-time African Footballer of the Year had “seriously violated the principles of ethics, integrity and sportsmanship of CAF by signing a contract to be an ambassador for betting company 1XBET.”

The panel noted that Eto’o committed ethical breaches by signing the ambassadorial contract since 1XBET is the sponsor of the top two divisions of men’s professional football in Cameroon and both the men’s and women’s international sides, while the regulations of world football governing body, FIFA, state clearly that “people bound by its code are not allowed any involvement in betting related to football.”

A group representing amateur football clubs in Cameroon had last year, called on Eto’o to resign as Fecafoot President, expressing their concerns over his relationship with 1XBET and citing “grave irregularities” at Fecafoot.

The former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea striker was being investigated alongside Valentine Nkwain, president of newly promoted club side Victoria United, following a leaked phone conversation said to be of the pair discussing Victoria’s return to the top flight before promotion had been guaranteed.

However, both Eto’o and Nkwain have previously denied involvement in any conspiracy to manipulate results.

Earlier in the week, a group of football administrators, including former members of Fecafoot and the president of the country’s Professional Football League, wrote an open letter to CAF President Patrice Motsepe and FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, urging them to speed up their investigations and pointing out that possible sanctions included a lifetime ban.

Part of the letter had said:

“Many stakeholders who have been in the game for several decades are leaving because of the abuses that have taken place over the past two years.”

Related Topics:CAF Cameroon Featured Fine Match Fixing Samuel Eto'o

Click to comment

Sports

South Africa humiliates Ireland by 139 runs in first ODI test

Published

2 days ago

October 3, 2024

Isaac Dachen

South African men Cricket National Team, The Proteas, handed Ireland a humiliating 139 runs in the first of three One-Day Internationals (ODI) on Wednesday with Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs hitting half-centuries.

The victory also meant Proteas avenge a shock T20 loss to the same opponents last weekend and also followed an ODI series defeat against Afghanistan last month.

Rickelton who opened the batting in just his third appearance in the format, hit 91 off 102 balls with seven fours and three sixes, that being the 28-year-old’s highest score in all international cricket matches.

Middle-order batsman Stubbs, playing in only his fifth ODI, was equally unforgiving on Ireland’s bowlers, making 79 off 86 balls with two fours and four sixes as both men helped rescue South Africa from a perilous 39-3, putting on 152 for the fourth wicket as the Proteas made 271-9 off their 50 overs.

Mark Adair, who took four wickets in Ireland’s 10-run T20 win on Sunday, claimed another four-wicket haul on Wednesday as Ireland struggled to make headway against fast bowlers Lizaad Williams and Lungi Ngidi with their first five wickets falling for just 61 runs.

Only three Irish batsmen got past 20 with Williams, playing in just his fifth ODI, finishing with a career-best 4-32 off his 10 overs and were eventually bowled out for 132 in the 32nd over with veteran all-rounder George Dockrell top-scoring with a modest 21.

The second and third games of the series will take place at the same Abu Dhabi venue on Friday and Sunday.

Sports

Senegal sack coach Aliou Cisse after poor results

Published

3 days ago

October 2, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Senegalese Football Federation (SFF) has sacked 2022 AFCON-winning coach, Aliou Cisse, following a string of poor results in the ongoing AFCON and World Cup qualifying matches.

The decision to sack the former Birmingham City and Portsmouth midfielder was confirmed by the SFF in a statement on Wednesday, bringing an end to Cisse’s tenure which saw him taking the Teranga Lions to unprecedented heights which included leading the team to its first-ever AFCON title.

“The contract between the national coach, Aliou Cisse, and the Senegalese Football Federation will not be renewed. This is what the new authorities have decided,” the Federation said in the statement.

“Aliou Cisse has given so much to Senegalese football, but the time has come for a new direction,” an SFF official was quoted as saying, highlighting the federation’s determination to start a new chapter for the Teranga Lions.”

The 47-year-old coach has been in charge of the national team since 2015 with his time witnessing a rollercoaster of some sorts, filled with both triumphs and heartbreaking moment for the football crazy West African nation.

After taking charge of Senegal in 2015, following a brief stint as caretaker manager in 2012, Cisse led the Lions to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and although Senegal was eliminated in the group stage on a controversial fair-play tiebreaker, Cisse’s influence was undeniable.

Despite that setback, Cisse continued to build a strong foundation for Senegal. In 2019, he guided the Teranga Lions to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, their first since 2002, only to be narrowly defeated by Algeria, but redemption came in 2022 when Senegal won their first-ever AFCON title under his guidance, beating Egypt in a dramatic penalty shootout.

However, recent performances have failed to live up to that glory with a string of poor results in the months following the 2022 FIFA World Cup put Cisse under increasing scrutiny.

After careful consideration, the SFF said it has decided not to renew Cisse’s contract, ending his eight-year spell in charge of the national team.