Cameroon reduces punishment for Eto'o
January 9, 2012
When the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) handed down a 15-game suspension to Indomitable Lions captain Samuel Eto'o, his fans and teammates were furious. The decree would jeopardize the team's chance to qualify for the 2013 African Cup of Nations and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
CNN reports that there were rumors of President Paul Biya putting pressure on Fecfoot to reduce Eto'o's ban, and after a meeting on Saturday, the suspension was toned down.
The federation released a statement, which referred to Eto'o as "a world-famous athlete who has rendered outstanding services to the national team of Cameroon," after they decided to go easier on the ball player, according to EPSN Soccernet.
Now, instead of having to sit out 15 competitive games, Eto'o will only miss four. Unfortunately, three of the four games in which he won't be playing are qualifiers for the Cup of Nations and the World Cup. Lions fans can make calls to Cameroon using phone cards to discuss the team's chances at qualifying for either championship game.