Publications
Partners
Samuel Eto’o mania hit Mzansi again this year. Daniel Mothowagae is one of the few who got up close and personal with the Cameroon legend during a visit last week
Samuel Eto’o has all the trappings of superstardom – bodyguards, hangers-on and the media attention to pull off a show-stopping act.
But in the midst of all this frenzy Eto’o’s broad smile stands out – it’s become the former Barcelona striker’s most distinct feature.
He sports no visible tattoos, over-the-top hairstyle or diamond ear studs to complete what has become the look of many a sports star.
Clad in black skinny jeans, a pair of snow-white Adidas sneakers and a sponsor’s top, Eto’o cuts a larger-than-life figure in a packed lounge at Chaf Pozi, a popular shisa nyama joint in Soweto.
The 37-year-old is here to launch the second edition of the Castle Lager Africa 5s – a social five-a-side competition for which he is an ambassador.
This, he says, is one of the projects that keeps the Samuel Eto’o brand relevant, especially now that he’s been winding down his career at some of the world’s more obscure leagues.
“It took me many years to build a good image and now I want to share my experiences with Africa, unify the people and leave a strong legacy,” he says.
Eto’o’s trip to South Africa had to be aligned with the schedule at his club in the United Arab Emirates, where he took a few days off from Qatar Sporting Club.
He flashes a wry smile when I ask him about his personal finances and his well-documented obsession with sports cars.
That he was once ranked the top-earning player in the world – during his spell at the one-time big-spending Russian outfit FC Anzhi Makhachkala in 2011 – easily backs the belief that Eto’o has amassed enough millions to last a lifetime.
It was reported at the time that he was on a €20 million (R300 million) per season contract.
This leads us to another topic – the African narrative of some football players either retiring or dying as paupers, even when they had earned a fortune during their playing days.
“Some players earn a lot of money and some don’t, but the most important thing is to be careful about spending it, whatever you make” says Eto’o.
“You can spend money easily, but make some investments.”
During his time in Spain and England, Eto’o was known for splashing out on exotic cars, including a Bugatti Veyron, an Aston Martin and a Maybach Xenatec.
During the talismanic marksman’s stint at Chelsea, the UK’s tabloids at some point estimated his fleet to be worth £ 4 million.
“No, no, no, I am too old to talk about this kind of thing now,” he responds with a big laugh. At this point, he doesn’t even give the translator a chance to answer on his behalf.
After all, off the field, the well-travelled striker has also proven to be an entrepreneur of note, balancing business with his humanitarian projects.
With his 38th birthday coming next month, Eto’o says Qatar will probably be his final stop.
“I got an opportunity to play in Europe, but I don’t feel like it now. I want to finish off in Qatar,” says the man whose career has seen him play in six countries – Spain, Italy, England, Russia, Turkey and now Qatar.
“I want to stay one more year and finish my career in Qatar because they’ve got a big project that I want to be part of,” he says, without elaborating.
It is an open secret that the big-name players who have descended on the Gulf nation have something to do with helping Qatar with marketing as it gears up to host the 2022 World Cup.
Despite being a nomad, Eto’o surprisingly speaks just a few languages besides French, the official language of his birth country, Cameroon.
“My English is not so good, but I speak Italian and Spanish, and now I am trying Arabic.”
He also weighs in on the premature return from overseas of Lebogang Manyama, his former team-mate at Konyaspor in Turkey.
“He is an incredibly good player, but the coach had to make a decision. It’s good that Manyama came back home to enjoy his football again,” says Eto’o of the Kaizer Chiefs attacking player.
