Samuel Eto'o opens up on a failed Set Mobile venture
By Maxwell Kumoye
Cameroon football icon and Fécafoot president Samuel Eto'o has opened up on a lesser-known chapter of his career, one that had nothing to do with goals, trophies or roaring stadiums.
Long before stepping into football administration, the former Indomitable Lions striker was already making bold moves in business.
In 2012, at the height of his playing career, Eto’o launched a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, Set Mobile, shaking up Cameroon’s telecom space with a reported personal investment of 4 billion CFA francs.
It was a daring play from a man known for taking risks on the pitch. And at first, it paid off.
Set Mobile’s SIM cards flew off the shelves in cities across Cameroon.
Subscribers proudly flaunted the brand, many drawn by the weight of the Eto’o name, a symbol of excellence and national pride.
For a moment, it looked like another masterstroke from the four-time African Player of the Year.
But unlike his exploits in front of goal, this venture did not end in glory.
Speaking to Digital B. Agency, Eto’o reflected on the project with visible regret.
What he envisioned as a platform to empower young Cameroonians and prove local talent could thrive turned into a painful lesson in trust and management.
“I was convinced I had surrounded myself with brilliant, well-educated Cameroonians,” he said.
“But they didn’t see me as an investor. They saw me as a bank to be plundered.”
The football legend admitted he kept injecting funds into the company, driven by pride and a desire to protect the youth he believed in.
“I had a name. I wanted to show that these young people could succeed,” he added. “This project was magnificent.”
Ultimately, Set Mobile folded, a rare defeat in Eto’o’s competitive life.
Yet, true to form, the former Barcelona and Inter Milan star is not dwelling on the loss.
Instead, he is turning the setback into a message of resilience, urging young Africans to dare, to build, and to dream beyond sport.
On the field, Samuel Eto’o conquered Europe. Off it, he took a swing at entrepreneurship and fell short. But even in failure, the message from one of Africa’s greatest football exports remains clear, greatness is not just about winning, it’s about having the courage to try.
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