Samuel Eto'o has been fined for an ethics violation. GETTY IMAGES

Samuel Eto'o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), has been fined $200,000 (€184,000) by African football's governing body for an ethics breach, although there was insufficient evidence to pursue match-fixing allegations.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) launched an investigation into Eto'o's conduct last August following "written statements from several Cameroonian football stakeholders."

A disciplinary panel concluded that the four-time African Footballer of the Year had "seriously violated the principles of ethics, integrity and sportsmanship" of CAF by signing a contract to be an ambassador for the betting company 1XBET. Eto'o's lawyers have announced plans to appeal the verdict.

1XBET sponsors the top two divisions of men's professional football in Cameroon, as well as the men's and women's national teams. However, FIFA's Code prohibits individuals bound from being involved in football-related betting. Last July, a group representing amateur clubs in Cameroon called for Eto'o's resignation, expressing concerns over the 43-year-old's relationship with 1XBET and citing "serious irregularities" at FECAFOOT.

Samuel Eto'o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), has been fined following an ethics breach. GETTY IMAGES
Samuel Eto'o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), has been fined following an ethics breach. GETTY IMAGES

While Eto'o has been found guilty of breaching CAF statutes regarding ethics, he has avoided sanctions related to match-fixing, with the disciplinary panel ruling that "as it stands, there is insufficient proof."

The former Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Chelsea striker was under investigation alongside Valentine Nkwain, president of newly promoted Victoria United, following a leaked phone conversation allegedly involving the pair discussing Victoria's return to the top flight before promotion was secured.

Both Eto'o and Nkwain have previously denied any involvement in a conspiracy to manipulate results. CAF's latest judgement is unlikely to quell dissent in Cameroon concerning Eto'o's management of football in the country.

Earlier this week, a group of administrators, including former FECAFOOT members and the president of the country's Professional Football League, wrote an open letter to CAF president Patrice Motsepe and FIFA boss Gianni Infantino. They urged them to expedite their investigations, highlighting that potential sanctions could include a lifetime ban.

The letter stated, "Many stakeholders who have been in the game for several decades are leaving because of the abuses that have taken place over the past two years."