Leganes (Spain), Real
Madrid (Spain), Real Mallorca (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain), Real
Mallorca (Spain), FC Barcelona (Spain)
Honours
2002 African
Nations Cup winner (CAMEROUN) 2000 Vainqueur des Jeux Olympiques (CAMEROUN) 2003 League Cup winner (Real Majorque) 2003 Finaliste of la FA Cup des Confédérations (CAMEROUN)
Biography
Samuel Eto'o Fils (born March 10, 1981 in Nkon, Cameroon) is a
football striker, who currently plays for Barcelona. He was
named African Footballer of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Which is the first player won three title and won three titles
continuous ly since given out by the Confederation of African
Football.
Prior to joining Barcelona in 2004, Eto'o spent most of his
career on the books of Real Madrid, although he only played in
three league games in his six years under contract. Instead, the
last four and a half of those years were spent on loan with Real
Mallorca. In 2003 he and his teammates lifted the King's Cup
after defeating Recreativo de Huelva.
At the age of 17, Eto'o was the youngest player at the 1998
World Cup when he suited for Cameroon against Italy. He then
played in the 2002 edition. Eto'o won three major tournaments
with his country: the 2000 and 2002 African Nations Cups, as
well as the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
His signing with Barcelona was very controversial as Real Madrid
owned half of his contract and had preference over his signing.
However, he was turned down by chairman Florentino Pérez, who
argued that he already had the best two strikers in the league
(Ronaldo and Raúl) and that there was no place for another
non-European Union player. The contract release was signed after
paying 24 million euros, of which half was for Mallorca. Real's
loss has been Barca's gain - Samuel Eto'o has proven to be a
world-class acquisition, helping Barcelona to the 2004/2005
Spanish La Liga title and being the team's top scorer with a
final figure of 24 goals, just one short of top scorer Diego
Forlán. He also finished in third-place of voting for the 2005
FIFA World Player of the Year award; coming behind his Barcelona
teammate Ronaldinho and Chelsea F.C. midfielder Frank Lampard.
In 2006, Eto'o missed his penalty shot in the quarter-final of
the 2006 African Cup of Nations game against Cote D'Ivoire,
ending a record 24-shot penalty session, and eliminating his
side. On the other hand he was the top scorer of the tournament,
with five goals.
