A 15-match ban imposed on Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o for sparking a players' strike has been reduced to eight months, the national football federation said Saturday. The original suspension of the four-time African Footballer of the Year triggered widespread anger in a central African country reeling from their failure to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Officials discussed the ban in a meeting which began Friday and continued past midnight amid reports that President Paul Biya wanted the disciplinary action reconsidered. Eto'o will miss a 2013 Cup of Nations eliminator against minnows Guinea Bissau and 2014 World Cup qualifiers against more formidable opponents the Democratic Republic of Congo and Libya. But an August 31 end to the ban means he will be available for a Cup of Nations eliminator during the following two months - presuming they overcome Guinea Bissau - and four World Cup qualifiers next year.