- Samuel Eto’o and other aspiring CAF presidential Elections candidates have 24 hours to submit their candidacy and make it public
- FECAFOOT boss Samuel Eto’o, had confided in trusted acquaintances his aspirations to run for the hottest football administrative seat in the continent
- After claiming the football presidency in Cameroon since December 2021, it has been an topsy-turvey mandate with loads of scrutiny
- The ex Barca star had expressed wishes to go a nudge further, while already planning a succession pattern wherein trusted ally, Nyamsi Mongue (Executive Committee member) will take over as Cameroon’s next FA boss
Cameroon Football Federation honcho, Samuel Eto’o and other aspiring CAF president position aspirants have 24 hours to submit their candidacy as the November 12 deadline approaches.
Eto’o had informed trusted allies and acquaintances of his ambition to run for the next CAF elections as president as reported by kick442.com months ago but as deadline approaches he is dragging his feet as pundits say he could be in deep reflection about the move and his chances of toppling the workaholic Dr Patrice Motsepe.
Eto’o, 43-year-old is prepping a succession plan that will see business mogul and trusted henchman, Mongue Nyamsi takeover in the next FECAFOOT elections, preferring the latter to current FECAFOOT first vice president, Celine Eko.
Incumbent CAF boss Patrice Motsepe has shown through words and actions that he is a worthy leader and even earned calls and yielded to calls to run for a second term.
The South African billionaire was elected unopposed during the 43rd General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), in Rabat, on Friday, 12 March, 2021.
With just under four months left before the next CAF elections; March 25th 2025, there’s a lot of lobbying and behind the scenes negotiations ongoing for aspirants of the top job.
While Eto’o is yet to officialise his intentions, South Africa’s SNL24 has announced former Egyptian Football Association president Hany Abo Rida, subject to an amendment of the rules. As per article 18 section 9 of the 2023 CAF statuses, all eligible candidates must be under 70. More than half a dozen Football Associations have opted out of that rule and a final hearing is awaited at the next CAF GA in Kinshasa.
Ahmad Ahmad, “Eto’o’s Mentor”
Who else to get better mentorship from, other than the former CAF president Ahmad Ahmad?
With Eto’o aiming to reach an unprecedented height in football administration, he has been a mentee under Ahmad whilst seeking wisdom on how to claim the hottest spot in African football.
In 2023, Eto’o paid a courtesy visit to Ahmad’s residence in Madagascar. Though the mission of his visit was unclear, some African football experts seemed to have figured it out.
“Eto’o is amongst those who want to take over CAF,” an FA president mentioned shortly after that visit off record.
The Malagasy, has stood by him and went all the way to Eto’o’s native Ngambe, for the burial of his Dad, David Eto’o.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), was conspicuously absent, and Constant Omari (Former CAF SG and Ahmad loyalist) is on record for his famous rant against CAF.
“We are at the wake at Samuel’s family residence. I observed that since my arrival, apart from President Ahmad, I haven’t seen any African football federation President and not even a representative of the Confederation of African Football. I understand that the notion of African football has completely disappeared. This reflects the spirit of discord that reigns within this family. There is a danger. We must act differently… “, Omari ended.
Eto’o’s Visits of heads of States: Business, political, Diplomatic or football development purpose?
“Why Is Samuel Eto’o touring Countries”? Cameroon football enthusiast and stakeholder, Mballa Fabrice posed the question in a debate raised on the kick442.com group chat.
“After meeting with the presidents of Burkina Faso and Niger, he traveled to Qatar and in August 2024, he visited Equatorial Guinea,” Mballa pondered out loud.
Samuel Eto’o’s stardust during his playing days lives with him, and it is difficult for Africa’s most decorated player not to be granted audience by men of affluence.
Eto’o has visited more than ten heads of states in the last two years, principally, a ritual which is common from people with ambitions of becoming CAF president. His continues comment about wanting to promote African football certainly says a lot his plans as there is no better position to promote African football than being at the helm of the body that runs it.
Eto’o becoming Cameroon President like Weah in Liberia
There have been suspicions Samuel Eto’o Fils was positioning himself to run for the 2025 Presidential elections in Cameroon as successor of President Paul Biya. Though Eto’o has squashed such plans some will argue that he previously waved interest in becoming FECAFOOT president and he is today. However, kick442.com can categorically reveal that he will not be Presidential elections candidate in Cameroon in 2025 but will be very involved for a political party whose leader he will call for Cameroonians to support. The Cameroon elections will happen in October 2025 by the time the CAF elections have happened and Eto’o is hoping to get the support of the people he is hoping will support him in his journey to Cairo through their diplomatic relations amongst others.
Question of eligibility
Eto’o was fined $200,000 (€184,000) by African football’s governing body for an ethics breach, which has stained his reputation and puts a question mark on his CAF presidency ambitions.
A disciplinary panel concluded that the four-time African Footballer of the Year had “seriously violated the principles of ethics, integrity and sportsmanship” of CAF by signing a contract to be an ambassador for the betting company 1XBET. Eto’o’s lawyers have reportedly appealed the verdict. If the appeal is thrown away, then Cameroon’s record man can kiss his dreams of running for the FECAFOOT or CAF presidency goodbye.
In addition to that, Eto’o is currently serving a six months stadium ban from FIFA after he was found guilty of attacking match officials in the recent U-20 FIFA World Cup in Colombia.
Njie Enow, a seasoned sports journo thinks a job as CAF president for Eto’o would be overwhelming;
“I base my arguments only on his manifesto on the eve of the FECAFOOT Elections. He said a lot of things he hasn’t been able to accomplish”. Enow ended.
Njie Enow’s opinion resonates with Angu Lesley’s, another football writer’s thoughts.
“He has not helped his reputation or his ambitions to grow in football administration during his time at FECAFOOT.
“He has kept the temperament of Eto’o Fils the footballer while those seasoned in the business of management anxiously wait to see what Eto’o the manager can do.
“CAF is a bigger fish, it takes more than emotional decisions to run it. He simply can’t fit into that job or will have a lot of fixing to be fit for the job. That said, ballot boxes in Africa are sometimes mysterious especially as he continues his tour to different countries in the continent. He (Eto’o) was recently found guilty of breaching FIFA ethics and the place of those ethics worries in the files of aspirants for that position,” Angu concluded.
A former professional footballer is yet to run the affairs of the Confederation of African Football since the offices’ inception.
If there is one man that cannot be taken lightly for such a milestone, it is Eto’o, given his life and journey so far.
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