Samuel Eto’o is fined $200,000 by CAF for his 1XBET ambassadorship

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has cleared former FC Barcelona player and well-known Cameroonian football boss Samuel Eto’o of all charges related to match-fixing.

He did, however, receive a significant fine of $200,000 for his role as a brand ambassador for the bookmaker 1XBET, which CAF claims is against its ethical standards.

On Thursday, CAF declared that not enough evidence was there to convict Eto’o and Valentin Nkwain of tampering with matches. But the fine resulted from Eto’o’s endorsement of 1XBET, which was against CAF’s ethics, integrity, and sportsmanship rules.

A portion of the statement says:

“Mr. Eto’o was charged with allegedly tampering with football games and transgressing moral and ethical standards.

The Disciplinary Board decided that there isn’t enough evidence to convict Mr. Valentin Nkwain and Mr. Samuel Eto’o Fils of match manipulation as it is.

“Yet, the Disciplinary Board determined that Mr. Eto’o had signed a Brand Ambassador contract with the company 1XBET in exchange for compensation, a grave violation of the ethics, integrity, and sportsmanship principles outlined in Article 2 paragraph 3 of the CAF Statutes. As a result, Mr. Eto’o was fined 200,000 USD.”

As the head of Fecafoot, Eto’o advertised 1XBET in the spring of 2023 on social media by showcasing the platform’s thrilling bonuses and secure betting environments.

Football administrators are not allowed to participate in betting or gambling activities under FIFA’s regulation. Infractions may lead to severe fines and suspensions from the sport.

In response to claims of match-fixing, CAF opened an inquiry against Eto’o last summer.

Eto’o was punished for his ambassadorial role with 1XBET, which recently renewed its sponsorship arrangement with FC Barcelona, one of Eto’o’s former clubs, even though he was absolved of these charges.