Samuel Eto’o Steps Up Cameroon’s Search for Dual-National Talent in England.

Cameroon is stepping up its efforts to secure the next generation of dual-national talent, with FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o personally meeting the families of several promising young players based in England.

The meetings, reported over the weekend, included the families of Bassirou and Douka Nkoto, who are in the Manchester United academy, William Gueke of Manchester City and Tomak Jaxon David of Nottingham Forest. The move reflects a more proactive approach from FECAFOOT as competition for internationally eligible players continues to intensify.

FECAFOOT Wants to Act Before Players Reach Senior Level.

Rather than waiting until young players establish themselves in professional football, the federation appears determined to build relationships with promising talents and their families much earlier in their development.

The approach is particularly important for Cameroon because many young players with Cameroonian heritage grow up in European football systems and can become eligible for the national teams of the countries where they are born or developed.

William Gueke provides an example of the strategy already taking shape. The Manchester City youngster, who previously developed in Cameroon, has represented England at youth level but was also called up to Cameroon’s U23 setup in March 2026.

The Nkoto Twins Also Remain on Cameroon’s Radar.

Bassirou and Douka Nkoto are another example of the young talent FECAFOOT is attempting to keep connected to Cameroon. The twins are developing at Manchester United and have previously been linked with the country’s youth teams.

For Eto’o and the federation, establishing direct communication with families could become an important part of securing international commitments before players reach the stage where senior national-team decisions become more complicated.

The strategy also reflects the changing nature of international football, where African federations increasingly compete with European countries for players who possess more than one nationality.

Eto’o Has Experience With This Approach.

The FECAFOOT president has previously been involved personally in efforts to convince dual-national players to choose Cameroon. During his time as federation president, he met Bryan Mbeumo in London while attempting to persuade the Brentford forward to represent the Indomitable Lions. Mbeumo eventually chose Cameroon and became an important part of the national team.

That experience appears to have reinforced Eto’o’s belief that personal engagement can influence international decisions, particularly when players are approached before they become established senior internationals.

Cameroon Looks Beyond the Current Generation.

The latest initiative is therefore bigger than the players involved in the current discussions. It represents an attempt to create a wider pipeline of Cameroon-eligible talent developing in Europe’s strongest academies.

The challenge will be turning those relationships into a structured pathway through the U17, U20 and U23 teams before eventually integrating the best prospects into the senior Lions Indomptables.

For Cameroon, the battle for future international talent is increasingly being fought long before players reach the senior stage. By taking the conversation directly to families in England, Samuel Eto’o and FECAFOOT are signalling that the country intends to be more proactive in identifying, developing and retaining the next generation of players with Cameroonian heritage.