Former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder Geremi Njitap has been handed a five-year ban from football activities by Cameroon’s Football Federation (FECAFOOT) and fined £13,000, following a dispute with the federation’s president, Samuel Eto’o.
Geremi, 46, who won two Premier League titles with Chelsea and earned 118 caps for Cameroon, was found guilty of violating FECAFOOT’s code of ethics. According to an official statement, the former star was penalized after an altercation with Eto’o’s staff during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations clash between Cameroon and Gambia in Ivory Coast.
“The president of Synafoc [National Union of Footballers of Cameroon] is guilty of breaching the federation’s behavioral code,” FECAFOOT stated. “He is banned from all football-related activities for five years and fined ten million West African francs (£13,000). He has 10 days to file a written appeal.”
Geremi’s assistant, Daniel Blaise Ngos, was also punished, receiving a two-year suspension and a £6,500 fine.
The dispute reportedly stemmed from a heated confrontation between Geremi and a member of Eto’o’s team, leading to Geremi’s forcible removal by security personnel on the orders of FECAFOOT officials.
Geremi is expected to appeal the decision, potentially escalating the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
This latest controversy adds to a string of personal and professional challenges for Geremi, who made headlines last year following a divorce prompted by DNA revelations concerning his children.
