By: Rahul Adhikari
December 5 2022
False: Cameroon fans attacked Breel Embolo's parent's house after he scored a goal for Switzerland against Cameroon.
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Fact-Check
The Verdict False
People angry about a power outage during the football match attacked an energy company's office. Nobody attacked Embolo's parents' house.
Context
Cameroon-born football player Breel Embolo scored a goal for the Switzerland national team against the Cameroon national team on November 24, winning the game for the Swiss team in the ongoing 2022 FIFA world cup. After this defeat, social media users shared a video claiming that fans attacked Embolo's parent's house in Cameroon after he scored the goal. The viral video shows a crowd protesting in front of a small building with a fence. The caption read, "The parents' house of Breel Embolo, who scored against Cameroon today, was under attack. Breel Embolo is of Cameroon descent."
In Fact
We ran a reverse image search using the InVid keyframe search tool and found that the video had been shared on Facebook with a different context. On November 25, a Cameroonian Facebook page, ctualités de L'ET, shared a video stating that people attacked the headquarters of electricity provider Eneo's office in Bertoua over power cut issues during the FIFA World Cup matches (translated from French).
The word "Eneo" is written on a small wooden counter in front of the building in the viral video. Eneo is a Cameroon-based, partially state-owned energy company. The word Eneo seen in the viral video is similar to the company's logo.
Les Observateurs - France 24 reached out to the Bertoua Eneo office to ask about the attack. The communication sub-directorate confirmed that the Eneo office in the viral video was attacked during the Cameroon-Switzerland match, where people demanded the restoration of electricity. The interruption lasted for 20 minutes, and the crowd dispersed after the issue was resolved. France 24 also contacted Embolo's representative, who confirmed they were aware of the fake video but did not comment further on this matter.
Breel Embolo has scored two goals for Switzerland in three matches. The country has qualified for the round of 16 and will be facing Portugal in the knockout on December 7.
The Verdict
Breel Embolo's parents' house in Cameroon was not attacked after he scored for Switzerland. The video was shared with incorrect context. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.