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Tag: Samuel Eto’o

  • Samuel Eto’o Surprises Nigerian Billionaire Tony Elumelu with a Luxury Gift

    Samuel Eto’o Surprises Nigerian Billionaire Tony Elumelu with a Luxury Gift

    An Unexpected Gesture at a Friendly Meeting

    Samuel Eto’o, the legendary Cameroonian football player and current president of the Cameroon Football Federation, surprised Nigerian billionaire Tony Elumelu with an exclusive gift. This gesture quickly gained public attention, sparking discussions among football fans and the African business community.

    According to foot africa.com, during a recent meeting, Eto’o presented Elumelu with a luxurious red Hermès tie. The moment was captured on camera and soon went viral on social media, generating a wave of reactions. The footage shows the two influential figures in a warm and friendly setting, highlighting their mutual respect.

    Public and Fan Reactions

    The gift sparked a wide range of opinions among football enthusiasts and business professionals. Many fans viewed the gesture as a symbol of strong friendship and mutual admiration between two influential African personalities.

    However, some questioned whether such an extravagant gift was appropriate, considering Eto’o’s role as the head of the Cameroon Football Federation. Critics argued that public figures should be cautious with luxury gifts, especially in leadership roles.

    Despite the mixed reactions, many social media users recalled that Eto’o is known for his generosity, frequently supporting charities and young athletes across Africa.

    Who Are Samuel Eto’o and Tony Elumelu?

    Samuel Eto’o: A Football Legend

    Samuel Eto’o is one of Africa’s most celebrated footballers. He played for top clubs like Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Chelsea, winning multiple Champions League titles and the African Cup of Nations. After retiring, he became the president of the Cameroon Football Federation, working to develop football in his home country.

    Read Also: Samuel Eto’o in paternity lawsuit puzzle

    Tony Elumelu: A Visionary Business Leader

    Tony Elumelu is a Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist, recognized as one of Africa’s most influential business figures. He is the founder of Heirs Holdings, an investment company focused on economic development across Africa. Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, he supports young entrepreneurs, aiming to create jobs and foster innovation.

    Is it just a gift or something more?

    The Hermès tie, presented to Elumelu, became a symbol of friendship between two prominent African personalities. Regardless of the differences in assessment of this gesture, it confirms the strong bond between representatives of sports and business. This proves once again that African leaders are able to unite not only for the sake of their careers, but also for the sake of positive change across the continent.

  • Samuel Eto’o in paternity lawsuit puzzle

     

    Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o is facing a new court paternity lawsuit over an alleged lovechild now 20 years old.

    Cape Verde-born Adileusa do Rosario Neves is fighting to have the former Chelsea and Barcelona striker recognised as the father of her 20 year old daughter Erika.

    Adileusa’s lawyer Fernando Osuna confirmed on Tuesday that the hearing would take place at a Madrid court on April 24.

    The lawsuit presented by Adileusa says she fell pregnant after meeting Eto’o – now playing for Qatar SC – in a nightclub in the Spanish capital in 1997 when he was at Leganes on loan from Real Madrid.

    She claims Eto’o, 37, who has six recognised children with four different women including his wife Georgette, told her he would ‘act responsibly’ soon after she broke the news but then cut off all contact with her.

    Erika was born in November 1999 in a hospital in the Spanish capital. It was not immediately clear on Tuesday if Eto’o has agreed to a voluntary DNA test.

    Adileusa’s lawyer Fernando Osuna, who has been fighting to get veteran crooner Julio Iglesias to admit he is the father of a 40-year-old Spaniard, said when he launched his court fight against Eto’o that he would ask for a DNA sample.

    Osuna said the court would decide after the hearing whether it agreed to Erika’s request for a maintenance allowance as an interim measure while it continues to study the paternity claim

    He said: ‘Samuel Eto’o has been summoned to the hearing and it will be open to the press and public.

    ‘It’s not yet clear if he will attend as he is abroad. He has been asked to attend by a legal representative he had when he was living in Majorca.

  • African coaches lack confidence declares Samuel Etoo

     

    African coaches lack confidence in themselves despite having the needed qualifications to excel in the round leather game.

    Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o who made the submission opined that lack of confidence has limited the chances of most African coaches to reach the zenith of their careers.

    He equally noted that the non-progressive state of African coaches may have affected the psyche of African player many who ultimately decide against going into coaching after their playing careers.

    The former Barcelona ace told Canal+: ‘some former black players don’t want to become coaches, even if maybe they’d like to.

    ‘Of course, there are many African coaches who have qualifications, but there’s simply no confidence in them, unlike other coaches,” he noted

    The 37-year-old Eto’o, who also played for Premier League clubs Chelsea and Everton, and is currently plying his trade with Qatar Sports Club in the Qatar Stars League also noted that coaches of colour are unfortunately treated as second class citizens. He however hinted that he is ready to change the narrative when he ventures into coaching after playing.

    ‘Coaches of colour have been disheartened because they’re viewed as second-class citizens.’Still, I won in Europe as a player so I have to win in Europe as a coach,” he enthused

    That is indeed true with Eto’o winning the Champions League three times as a player as well as four domestic titles in Spain and Italy. He is keen to manage at the highest level once he hangs up his boots. The four time African footballer of

    the year and two time Nations cup winner is among crème dela crème of sports legends that  hit Dakar Senegal for the Annual African footballer of the Year award.

    Eto’o was a proud winner of the award in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Cameroon legend Samuel Eto sets 2020 retirement date

    Former Barcelona ace and Cameroon international Samuel Etoo, has set 2020 as his retirement date from football.  The 37 year old who made 118 appearances for the Indomitable Lions scoring 56 goals between 1997 and 2014, revealed this on Monday in a chat with Radio France International (RFI).

    The four-time African footballer of the year who only recently parted ways with Turkish side Konyaspor on mutual agreement hinted however that he still hopes to have a go at two seasons of active football this time in the French Ligue 1 before finally bidding goodbye to the game that brought him fame and wealth. The Striker played for fourteen different clubs including Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Chelsea in the course of his career said he hopes to venture into something new after football.

    “Priority is to play in the first division. I want to play two more seasons, then stop my career and start a new life. “He said

    Etoo who has three Champions league trophy in his kitty, also boasts of an Olympic gold medal he won with the lions in at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

    Etoo has been to four World cups France 98, Korea/Japan 2002, South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014 respectively.

    The former Everton ace is expected to reveal his next club in France in due course revealing that he has received some offers that are still being studied.

    “We have offers. We’re going to see which suits me best” said Etoo who remains Indomitable Lions all time record goalscorer.

     

  • King Samuel Eto’o mobbed as he joins Konyaspor

    King Samuel Eto’o mobbed as he joins Konyaspor

     

    Samuel Eto’o has joined the 12th club of his professional career after signing for Konyaspor from rivals Antalyaspor on a two-and-a-half year contract.

    The experienced 36-year-old striker, who arrived in Turkey from Sampdoria in 2015, was able to seal yet another move after mutually terminating his Antalyaspor deal.

    The former Cameroon international’s arrival was announced by his new club with a Game of Thrones-themed video on Twitter.

    The struggling Turkish top-flight side used the theme song and graphics from the popular television show — and looked back at his career.

    Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Everton were the teams which were depicted alongside their team logo and stadium, before ending at his new club.

    The striker was mobbed by his new supporters during a well-attended unveiling at the club’s Konya City Stadium on Wednesday.

    He donned the club’s shirt and proudly displayed the Cameroon flag, with plenty of support cheering him on.

    Eto’o, a four-time African footballer of the year winner, joins the struggling Turkish top-flight side having netted 44 goals in 77 appearances for his former side.

    Antalyaspor confirmed his departure in a statement on Tuesday, and the former Chelsea forward didn’t waste any time finding a new club.

    The statement said: ‘We have parted ways with our captain Samuel Eto’o by mutual consent. The club thank him for his contribution and wish him success for the future.’

    Konyaspor has on its players list a Nigerian player Patrick Eze who is currently on loan to Denizlispor until 30 June 2018. Eze made seven appearances for the club scoring two goals before heading on loan to Denizlispor.

  • Ex Barca stars converge as Valdes weds Cardona

    Ex Barca stars converge as Valdes weds Cardona

     

     

    Victor Valdes married his long-term sweetheart Yolanda Cardona in a ceremony in Barcelona on Friday.

    The ex-Middlesbrough goalkeeper was joined by an all-star cast of guests, including a number of his former team-mates from his time with Barcelona in Spain.

    Visitors to the Santuario de Santa Maria de Montserrat de Pedralbes church included the likes of Xavi, Carles Puyol, Seydou Keita and Samuel Eto’o.

    Puyol and Keita took a selfie which the former defender uploaded to his Instagram page on Friday afternoon.

    Those players all featured when Barcelona won the treble, with Valdes between the sticks, in 2008-09.

    Valdes, who had a brief but difficult spell with Manchester United, was clearly delighted to finally marry Cardona, who is the mother of his three children, Dylan, Kai and Vera.

    Eric Abidal was another former team-mate at Barcelona in attendance, while Joan Laporta, previously president of the Nou Camp club, was a guest.

    Ex-reserve goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto, whose music featured in The Fate of the Furious film, took time out of his busy schedule as a producer to attend.

    Valdes is looking for a new club after leaving Middlesbrough following their relegation to the Championship after a single season in the Premier League.

    The 35-year-old spent the latter part of the season sidelined after picking up a thumb injury.

  • Eto’o backs Infantino for FIFA presidency

    Eto’o backs Infantino for FIFA presidency

    Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o has given his backing to UEFA interim chief, Gianni Infantino, in his bid for the FIFA presidency.

    “I wish Gianni to win the FIFA election. I know that he has the interests of football at heart and that his experience, his determination and his passion for sports can  make a real difference for football in Africa and throughout the world,” africanFootball.com quoted the former Barcelona star as saying on his facebook page.

    He rejected the Confederation of African Football (CAF)’s decision to endorse the candidature of Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

    Other candidates vying to succeed Sepp Blatter as head of the world football’s governing body include ex-FIFA executive committee member, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, former FIFA deputy general secretary, Jérome Champagne and South African businessman, Tokyo Sexwale.

    The FIFA presidential election takes place at the Hallenstadion in Zürich, Switzerland, on Friday.

  • Eto’o urges help for ‘unnoticed’ Boko Haram victims

    Eto’o urges help for ‘unnoticed’ Boko Haram victims

    Africa’s most decorated footballer, Samuel Eto’o, has appealed for funding to help people escaping violence in Nigeria and Cameroon and warned that the world is neglecting an escalating humanitarian crisis in West Africa.

    A six-year campaign by the Boko Haram sect to carve out an Islamist state in northeast Nigeria has killed thousands, uprooted 2.2 million people within the country and driven around 160,000 Nigerians to seek refuge in Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

    Cross-border raids and suicide bombings by suspected Boko Haram forces have displaced more than 80,000 people over the last year in Cameroon’s Far North region, which is also home to 60,000 Nigerian refugees who have fled attacks by the militants since the start of 2013.

    Yet Cameroon’s record goal scorer fears the conflict and ensuing displacement are being ignored as global attention remains fixed upon Europe’s burgeoning migration crisis.

    “There are different classes of crisis now and no one seems to notice the displaced in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria,” the four times African player of the year and twice African Nations Cup winner told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

    “When you see the population in refugee camps growing from 6,000 to 50,000 people in less than a year, you realise how serious the situation is,” he added.

    Reuters reported that Eto’o, who plays for Turkish team Antalyaspor, was speaking after hosting a fundraising ball in London for the Yellow Whistle Blower FC initiative, which launched in March and has raised 50,000 pounds ($76,500) so far.

    The money is being used by Oxfam and the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) to help the displaced and provide food, water and medicine to people living in makeshift refugee camps.

  • Eto’o remains Africa’s richest player

    Eto’o remains Africa’s richest player

    Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o is still Africa’s richest player according to the 2015 edition of the “Goal Rich List” published by Goal.com.

    With an estimated wealth of €87million, the Sampdoria’s striker is number seven on the global ranking led by Real Madrid’s Portuguese international, Cristiano Ronaldo (€210million), africanFootball.com says.

    That’s a bit of a slide down the table for the four-time African Player of the Year, who was in the top three last year.

    The only other African player to feature in the list’s top 20 is Manchester City’s Ivoirian midfielder, Yaya Touré, who is lying 15th on the log with an estimated wealth of €62million.

     

  • Samuel Eto’o ready to quit Sampdoria

    Samuel Eto’o ready to quit Sampdoria

    Samuel Eto’o is ready to quit Sampdoria just a week after completing his move from Everton.

    The Cameroon international clashed with coach Sinisa Mihajlovic after he refused to attend an extra training session following Sampdoria’s 5-1 defeat to Torino, in which he made his debut as a 71st-minute substitute.

    The two held crisis talks after Eto’o elected to travel back to Milan, where he and his family are currently based, instead of train with the squad.

    The relationship between player and coach have since completely broken down and the club are now considering terminating the former Inter and Barcelona striker’s two year contract by mutual consent, just one week after the 33-year-old joined the club.

    Sampdoria officials have refused to confirm reports of the bust-up, insisting Eto’o missed the session because of personal reasons.