Cameroon ban captain Eto’o for 15 matches

Cameroon banned reigning African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto’o for 15 matches yesterday after a players’ strike forced a friendly fixture in Algeria last month to be cancelled.

National team striker and captain Eto’o has been voted African Footballer of the Year a record four times and has represented the Cameroonian ‘Indomitable Lions’ for more than a decade.

But the Russia-based striker has frequently disagreed with officials and took the brunt of the blame when a strike prevented the Algeria match going ahead.

Cameroon had beaten Sudan and drawn with hosts Morocco in a four-nation Marrakech tournament and were due to wrap up a hectic friendlies schedule against Algeria.

Eto’o and his team-mates claimed they were not paid money due to them by FECAFOOT and the fixture had to be canned with Algeria claiming $1 million compensation for lost revenue.