An altercation occurred between Samuel Eto'o, president of FECAFOOT, and journalists from the national television channel during the May 20 celebrations at Boulevard du 20 Mai in Yaoundé. The scene, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, shows a tense exchange where Eto'o criticizes the journalists for their intrusive approach.
As the reporting team prepared to interview Eto'o, he expressed his dissatisfaction with their method, complaining that they had not asked for his consent before setting up their equipment. "You put the microphone in my face without asking if I want to speak, you set up your cameras. Get out now!" he declared. The journalist simply responded with "Thank you very much".
This incident occurs in a context of sometimes strained relations between FECAFOOT and certain media outlets, particularly concerning institutional communication and the management of the image of Cameroonian football. Criticisms have regularly been made regarding the lack of transparency and difficulties in accessing information.
This is not the first time that Samuel Eto'o has been involved in altercations with journalists. In 2008, he issued a public apology after assaulting a journalist following a press conference. More recently, in December 2022, he was filmed assaulting an Algerian ইউটিউber in Qatar, which led to a complaint being filed with the police.
These incidents raise questions about the relationship between Cameroonian football figures and the media, as well as press freedom in the country. FECAFOOT has not yet released an official statement regarding the May 20 incident.
