Two weeks after the executive committee of Cameroon’s Football Federation, FECAFOOT, met to transmute disciplinary sanctions against Indomitable Lions captain Samuale Eto’o and two other teammates, authorities of FIFA, the world football governing body are asking for explanations on the sudden change of decision.

In a letter addressed to the Cameroon FA, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke emphasized that the global soccer authority would like to be fed a “detailed report on the various cases and eventually on those that we [FIFA] were not aware of”. This express interest manifested by the world body in an affair that wreaked a storm that spread beyond Cameroon’s football world into social and political life, analysts say, is likely intended to establish whether there was a political intrusion in the matter.

Although FECAFOOT authorities denied any external influence especially from the government of Cameroon in the revision of the harsh sanction slammed on Eto’o in particular, the public was convinced that Yaounde authorities took interest in the matter to prevent a crisis that could degenerate into a sociopolitical maelstrom. Besides, the revision of the sanctions without appeals being made by the players concerned raised even greater concern about the real basis on which the new sanctions were taken.

Following the initial 15-match ban slammed on skipper Samuel Eto’o, 2-match suspension on Eyong Enoh Tarkang and the 1 million FCFA fine leveled against Benoit Assou Ekotto in December 2011, disappointed soccer fans across the country threatened to undertake street protests to vent their anger. With the media focusing enormously on the matter, administrative authorities took up the duty to assail the tensions.

In a faint conversation recording on State television shortly after the Cup of Cameroon finals on 11 December, President Paul Biya was heard issuing instructions to newly appointed Sports minister Adoum Garoua asking him to take all measures to restore calm in Cameroon football. In the next few days after that encounter, the minister announced that government was in touch with the various actors in the saga to protect the interest of Cameroon football. On an even more informal tone, the press reported an encounter between PM Yang Philemon and FECAFOOT boss Iya Mohammed during which the former allegedly transmitted President Paul Biya’s plea for a re-adjustment of the initial sanctions taken by the FA to help calm the rising tension stoked in the population. A few days following the said encounter, Iya Mohammed personally chaired an executive council meeting of the FA and got the sanction commuted to 8 months of suspension for Eto’o, 2 months suspension for Enoh Eyong and a complete annulment of the fine for Assou Ekotto.

Authorities at FECAFOOT have since not commented publicly on the FIFA notice. The world body is reputed for its muscular stance against political interference in matters related to football. In the past, FIFA has slammed heavy sanctions on entire countries for violation of this fundamental principle.

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