"Uncle" Says Eto'o Is Nigerian

The tabloid has it that Simon Komla Eto was the biological father of Samuel Eto’o Fils, after an affair with a Cameroonian woman in 1982. Simon Komla passed away when Eto’o was just two years old, but his sister Morlemey (who, if this is true, is Eto’o’s aunt) is now asking for a paternity test to establish the truth.

The key word in all this is tabloid. Whether it’s Ghana, Great Britain or Guadalupe, we all know you can’t trust a tabloid. It’s also true that back in 2006 (See story below), an “uncle” claimed Eto’o was actually Nigerian. And who can blame anyone for wanting to be related to a legend in the making? I wish I could claim kinship with Eto’o. It might improve my shooting.

"Uncle" Says Eto'o Is Nigerian
By Ephraim Nwosu,SoccerStar Magazine

A Nigerian sports magazine, SoccerStar has claimed that prolific striker, Samuel Eto'o Fils is a national of the neighbouring Federal Republic of Nigeria. In its Thursday, February 16, edition, the magazine quotes someone whom it identifies as an uncle of Eto'o's as saying that the soccer wizard who clinched the African Best Player Award for the third time running last week, hails from Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

We publish the SoccerStar article in ex stenso:"SoccerStar can now authoritatively confirm the report of its weekend publication, which revealed that Cameroon dreaded striker, Samuel Eto'o Fils is truly a Nigerian.

"The player's uncle, Chris Mbe, confirmed this much. The Lagos-based accountant disclosed that the Barcelona star actually hails from Amasiri, Amuro in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

"My name is Chris Mbe," he began."I am a native of Ebonyi State of Nigeria. I come from the same village as well as the same compound with the world renowned soccer star Samuel Eto'o Fils," he revealed.

Continuing, he stated: "I saw the story in your paper last weekend where it was boldly written that Samuel Eto'o is a Nigerian, parents from Amuro Amasiri, Ebonyi State among others. "I want to seize this opportunity to confirm the story to be actually very true precisely as you reported because Samuel Eto'o is our son. Many people don't know this.

"Even before now, I used to tell a lot of people that Eto'o is my brother. In fact, 99 per cent of the people I told always doubt me. They say because he is a star that is why I now want to claim him. Now, I'm vindicated and that is why I am delighted to give you further information.

"His father, John Okwa and my own father are from the same grand parents. "In Igboland, we call it umunna. We come from one and the same grandfather. In other words, his father and my own father are brothers," he stressed.

Mbe explained that but for the death of Eto'o's eldest brother in Amauro the world would have since known that the two-time African Footballer of the Year was of a Nigerian parentage."When I confonted Eto'o's mum to make him realise the need to know ourselves as brothers, she stressed that her first son died under mysterious circumstances and as such they are scared. That is why they made up their minds not to come to Amasiri again," he said.

"Another notable thing during our last discussion which escaped my mind was the issue of not erecting a befitting home in Amasiri. She does not want to hang around peoples' houses. I advised her that it's the more reason Eto'o must come and build a house in the village because my uncle has stayed in Cameroon for more than 50 years," he further narrated.

Read the complete post at http://zambianfootball.blogspot.com/2008/02/ghanaian-tabloid-graphic-sports.html