AFCON 2008 THROWBACK: Samuel Eto'o's Father Is A Ghanaian

Samuel Eto'o left Ghana with more than just the topscorer's award and silver medal for Cameroon's second place finish at the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

The paternity of the 4-time African footballer of the year had been a subject of mystery for many years with Eto'o himself confessing that all he knows about his father is that he died when he was very young.

Samuel Eto'o. | image source: goal.com

However Eto'o was in for a surprise when he was confronted with news that his father was Ghanaian and most of his (Eto'o's father) relatives are very much alive and living in Ghana.

I remember reading an online article by a Ghanaian Daily with these shocking and interesting claims.

The article alleged that Eto'o's father was one Simon Komla Eto, a construction worker from the Ewe Community who left Ghana to work in Cameroon in the late 1970s. One of the person, a relative Eto, interviewed by the daily said that the name "Eto" means "ear" in the Ewe language and added that Samuel Eto'o's ears resembles those of some of his other relatives. "Samuel Eto'o has our ears," I remember reading something like that about what that relative said.

While in Cameroon, Eto is said to have had an affair with a Cameroonian woman and together they had a child who we now know as Samuel Eto'o Fils. Eto's relatives in Ghana did not hear much of him until his death and the relatives believe that Eto'o's mother never told her son the whole truth about his father.

Eto's relatives were convinced beyond doubt that Eto'o is their son as Eto'o's senior siblings who had been sired by Eto before he left for Cameroon, have a striking resemblance with the Everton striker. Before living Ghana, Eto had five children with two different women and all the children's first names start with letter "S". Is it a coincidence that Eto'o's first name is Samuel? The five were also said to be good footballers but never got to showcase their talents at the highest level.

The article also said that Eto'o was shown a photo of his supposed father but much as he could not recognise him because he has no memory of his father, the player did admit that the person in the photo did look like him. Eto'o was said to be perplexed by the development and when he was told to go meet his alleged siblings and other relatives, Eto'o refused. The information must have been to much to bear.