Eto´o handed seven-match ban

Cameroon captain Samuel Eto’o has been suspended for seven matches for his part in boycotting a friendly against Algeria last month.

On Wednesday, the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) also handed vice-captain Enoh Eyong and left-back Benoit Assou Ekotto four- and three-game bans respectively.

Eto’o and Eyong were summoned to a disciplinary hearing on Monday after the team boycotted a scheduled international friendly against Algeria on November 15 in protest against the non-payment of bonuses accrued from the LG Cup they earlier won in Morocco.

However, Eto’o told reporters after the hearing that the reasons for the strike action were deeper and broader than the match bonus affair, assuring that Cameroonians would soon hear ‘the whole truth’ of the matter.

“I personally came to honour the invitation and represent my team-mates, in order to give our version of what led to the boycott of the Algeria friendly,” Eto’o said on Monday.

“We brought so many proofs to back our action. Look, look, we love and respect our country, and I want to make it clear today that we don’t come here to play because we are in need of money. We take so many risks travelling down to honour our international assignments because we love our fatherland.”

“What happened was not the result of nonpayment of match bonuses from the LG Cup, but deep-rooted problems in the outfit that are yet to be solved.”

Tottenham’s Assou Ekotto, who was also summoned for repeatedly spurning call-ups to camp, was slapped with a three-match suspension.

Newly appointed coach Denis Lavagne and his assistant Martin Ndtoungou Mpile as well as the Fecafoot vice-president Francis Mveng were also heard by the committee.

The Algeria Football Federation is demanding 770,000 euros in damages incurred from the scrapped meeting.