Ex Cameroonian international and incumbent President of Fecafoot, Cameroon’s football governing body, Samuel Eto’o is in financial trouble. Eto’o who in his heyday laced boots for Barcelona and other top European clubs was on Monday found guilty of financial fraud in Spain and was subsequently fined 3.2 million pounds by a Spanish court. BBC reports that Eto’o subsequently pleaded guilty to the £3.2m tax fraud relating to his image rights while playing for Barcelona. The four-time African footballer of the year was given a 22-month suspended prison sentence when he appeared at court in Spain on Monday. He must repay the money he owes, along with a fine of £1.55m. Prosecutors accused Eto’o of failing to declare income from the transfer of image rights between 2006 and 2009. Eto’o is the latest in a long list of foreign players and managers to have been prosecuted for tax fraud in Spain in recent years, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Jose Mourinho and Neymar. The 41-year-old, now the president of the Cameroonian football federation, joined Barcelona in 2004, age 23. He also played for Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Everton during his career, before retiring in 2019. He appeared at the Ciudad de la Justicia court in Barcelona with his former agent Jose Maria Mesalles, who was given a 12 month suspended sentence and a fine. The court heard that Eto’o transferred his image rights to a company based in Hungary which declared his earnings in that country, where the tax rate is one of the “lowest in Europe”. “I admit the facts and I am going to pay what I’m due, but let it be known that I was a just a child then and that I always did what my former agent Jose Maria Mesalles, who I considered like a father, asked me to do at that time,” Eto’o told the court.

FIFA, Sports ministry on same page over FG’s letter to Amaju

World soccer governing body, FIFA and the nation’s sports ministry may be on the same page on the issues raised by the federal government in the letter written to Amaju Melvin Pinnick early this week. The FG in the letter to Amaju had insisted on the September 2022 election date and the need for electoral reforms that would see more stakeholders being part of the elective congress. A competent source close to both the sports ministry and Amaju disclosed today that there is nothing to worry about over the letter as FIFA has seen the letter and does not see it as government interference. “As we speak, that letter has been seen by FIFA and they are not raising any eyebrows over it. The FG in the letter did not sack the NFF board. What the letter simply said is, don’t elongate your tenure and for Amaju and co to carry other football stakeholders along. FIFA is okay with the letter and you can cross check this fact with the Glass House,” our source said. Efforts made to reach Demola Olajire, NFF‘s spokesman for comments proved abortive as calls put across to his lines were not answered. The NFF has equally not officially reacted to the FG letter addressed to its president, Amaju who is a member of the FIFA Council.

Clean Strokes Only: FINA extends partnership with ITA for another two years

The Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) has renewed and extended its partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA) until the end of 2023. The world governing body for aquatic sports is further strengthening and enhancing the independence of its anti-doping program by delegating additional clean sport activities to the ITA. FINA first partnered with the ITA in January 2019 as one of the first major Olympic Federations looking to further professionalise its anti-doping program and increase independent implementation. During the FINA Extraordinary Congress in Budapest (HUN), FINA President Captain Husain Al-Musallam announced a partnership renewal with the ITA and delegated further parts of its clean sport programme to it. Previously, the ITA has managed FINA’s risk assessment and test distribution planning, the implementation of the federation’s out-of-competition testing program, the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) administration and the coordination of FINA’s long-term storage and re-analysis program. Starting in January 2022, the ITA is now also managing the federation’s in-competition testing and the administration of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) applications. Furthermore, the ITA is tasked with the establishment and management of FINA’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP) based on risk assessment. The ITA will also support FINA with

its Intelligence & Investigations and Results Management activities, including the handling of whereabouts failures and anti-doping rule violations, in close cooperation with the newly established FINA Aquatics Integrity Unit. “I am very happy to announce this enhanced collaboration with our partner FINA and thank them for their commitment to keeping aquatics clean,” ITA Director General Benjamin Cohen said. “We are honoured by the increased trust that one of the largest Olympic Federations puts in the ITA as it shows that our focus on delivering the best independent anti-doping programs possible can give a large amount of support to any sporting body and help them focus on the development and promotion of their athletes and sport. We have worked hard to protect FINA’s athletes in the past two years and during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and we will continue to do so throughout this new collaboration period. FINA should be commended for the significant reforms they are undertaking, and we look forward to working closely with them and its Integrity Unit moving forward.” FINA President Husain Al-Musallam emphasised how the expanded collaboration with the ITA helps the specific needs of the Aquatics Integrity Unit to protect aquatics athletes and ensure a level playing field. “On behalf of FINA and the entire aquatics family, I am delighted to renew and extend our collaboration with the International Testing Agency. FINA is completely committed to protecting clean athletes and promoting clean sport,” FINA President Husain Al-Musallam said. “Today’s agreement with the ITA will help ensure that the field of play is equal for all athletes, and forms part of FINA’s wider strategy to fight doping in sport.