A release issued by the Nsahlia Law firm on Monday, July 21 has the amount of 600 000 approximately 365 Millions FCFA that was paid to a provided account provided by president Etoo on behalf of FECAFOOT is yet to reach the beneficiary, thus provoking the complaint.
The release issued by the law firm clearly details the situation
A formal criminal complaint has been filed in the United States following the unexplained disappearance of 600,000 USD owed to FECAFOOT from the Cameroon vs. Mexico football match held on June 10, 2023, in San Diego, California.
The money was contractually due to Cameroons football federation as an appearance fee from Soccer United Marketing SUM, a U.S.-based company that organized the match. Although Cameroon fulfilled its match obligations, FECAFOOT never received the payment, and there is no evidence it was sent or paid to U.S. tax authorities.
The complaintfiled with the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBIwas submitted by a coalition of concerned FECAFOOT Executive Committee members and football club leaders, and was prepared by Barrister Emmanuel Nsahlai, a Cameroonian-American lawyer based in Los Angeles. In addition, a formal legal demand letter has been delivered to SUM and the Mexican Football Federation, requesting immediate proof of payment and a full accounting of the 600,000 owed.
This is about protecting the money that belongs to Cameroonian football, Barrister Nsahlai wrote. Every franc counts for our players, clubs, and youth academies.
The legal complaint calls for a full investigation under U.S. law, citing possible wire fraud, tax evasion, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy related to the missing funds.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be hosted by the U.S., the coalition urges U.S. authorities to take swift action and send a strong message that football funds must not disappear into private handswhether at home or abroad, the release concluded.
This latest twist doesnt help Etoo image or his course at FECAFOOT as it questions his integrity and the credibility of the institution he leads, having arrived four years ago and fueled huge optimism.
The latest development thus adds to a long list of complaints that have been made about the Samuel Etoo-led FECAFOOT in the past four years.