The Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) has stated that the six-month stadium ban imposed by FIFA on its president Samuel Eto’o is a misunderstanding and might take up the option to legally challenge the decision, Afrosport reports.
Eto’o has been banned from attending fixtures involving any Cameroon national team matches after FIFA found him being guilty of “offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play” during the women’s Under-20 World Cup round of 16 match with Brazil last month which ended in a 3-1 extra time loss.
Eto’o confronted match officials after the game over Brazil’s equaliser which he believes should not have stood and while FECAFOOT accepted Eto’o conduct, the body believes he did “respectfully brought to the attention of the officials the errors.”
“The Brazilian team’s equaliser was irrevocably tainted by a number of irregularities,” FECAFOOT said in a statement per Reuters.
“It is worth noting that during the [group stage] match between Cameroon and Colombia, which was officiated by the same referee [Maria Sole Ferrieri from Italy], an obvious penalty was unfortunately not given to the Cameroonian team.
“He [Eto’o] is entitled to use the legal means at his disposal to ensure justice is done in this matter.”
Eto’o’s time as FECAFOOT president has been rocked with controversy, the most recent one being a clash between him former Cameroon senior men’s national team manager Marc Brys and the country’s sports ministry which led to the dismissal of the former.