Samuel Eto'o Cameroonian Footballer Born 1981 in Douala

Early life

Samuel Eto'o is a Cameroonian footballer and coach, born on 10 March 1981 in Douala. He trained at a sports academy in Cameroon before moving to Spain as a teenager, where he joined the youth system of Real Madrid. Because he was still a minor, his early appearances came in the club's reserve ranks rather than in the first team, and he spent his first seasons on loan with smaller clubs. He made his debut for the Cameroon national team in March 1997, a day before his sixteenth birthday.

Career

Eto'o played as a forward. After his loan spells he settled at RCD Mallorca, first on loan and then on a permanent contract from 2000, and he stayed until 2004. In 2004 he moved to FC Barcelona, where he spent five seasons. There he won the league title three times and the UEFA Champions League twice, in 2006 and 2009, scoring in both finals. In the 2005-06 season he was the top scorer in the Spanish league and received the Pichichi Trophy.

In 2009 he joined Inter Milan. His first season there ended with the club winning the Champions League, and he became the first player to win a continental treble in two consecutive seasons with two different clubs. He left Inter in 2011 for FC Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia, and in 2013 he signed for Chelsea in England. A year later he moved to Everton, and in January 2015 he returned to Italy with Sampdoria. From 2015 he played in Turkey for Antalyaspor, and for a short period he also acted as the club's interim player-manager. He then spent time at Konyaspor in 2018 and ended his playing days at Qatar SC, announcing his retirement from football in September 2019.

With Cameroon he played from 1997 until 2014. The national team won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in 2000, and he was in the squads that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002. He took part in several World Cups and is regarded as the leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations. He announced his retirement from international football in August 2014.

Away from the pitch, Eto'o appeared in the 2007 film Goal II: Living the Dream and has a further screen credit from 2018.

Recognition

Eto'o was named African Player of the Year four times, in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010. He was also named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI, and he received the Golden Foot award in 2015. His list of honours includes the Order "For Merit to the Republic of Dagestan" in 2014 and the European Medal of Tolerance. His record also lists gold medals dated 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2009 and a silver medal from 2003. In total, eighteen distinctions are recorded for him, and the Olympic title with Cameroon in 2000 is among the best known.

Public roles

In December 2021 Eto'o was elected president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, the national governing body for the sport. He was also appointed an ambassador for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Since moving into administration he has combined these duties with his work as a football coach.