By Oni Ladonette Ondesa*
Samuel Eto’o won re-election with 97% of the vote, but his first term left Cameroonian football in turmoil. With domestic chaos, continental failures and World Cup heartbreak fresh in memory, the pressure is on for the FECAFOOT boss to deliver real change.
On November 29, 2025, Samuel Eto’o secured a landslide re-election as president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), claiming 85 out of 87 votes. Running unopposed at the CAF Exellence Centre in Mbankomo, Yaoundé, the former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker’s 97.7% approval rating suggested complete control. Yet outside the venue, protesters waved banners demanding he “free Cameroonian football,” while the Ministry of Sports called for the election to be scrapped entirely.
It’s a paradox that sums up Eto’o’s turbulent first four years in charge. Despite winning African football’s most prestigious individual prize four times and lifting two AFCON trophies as a player, his transition from the pitch to the boardroom has been anything but smooth. Now in his second term, one question dominates: can football’s firebrand president finally deliver the transformation he promised?
Domestic Disarray
The clearest sign of trouble has been the state of Cameroon’s domestic league. After a seven-month shutdown, the MTN Elite One finally kicked off again on January 24, 2026, with Elite Two following a week later and the Guinness Super League resuming on February 8. The stop-start nature of the championship has become a recurring nightmare, disrupting player development and club finances alike.
When the Elite One commenced, controversy followed immediately. Match day one saw FECAFOOT sanction four referees amid allegations of dodgy decisions and potential match-fixing. Victoria United’s 3-0 win over PWD Bamenda raised eyebrows, all three goals came from the penalty spot. Meanwhile, Fauve Azure took to the pitch without FECAFOOT sponsor (MTN’s logo) on their shirts, claiming they’d received no money despite being contractually obliged to display the branding.
Eto’o’s first term saw headline-grabbing announcements, broadcast deals with CRTV Sports, kit partnerships with OneAllSports, even promises of a team bus, but delivery fell short. CRTV’s coverage proved patchy at best, while many clubs reported struggling to access even a quarter of the financial support they were entitled to. Though Eto’o did introduce a minimum wage for players and created a proper championship trophy, the structural problems plaguing Cameroonian football remain unresolved.
Continental Struggles
Cameroon’s clubs have fared no better on the continental stage. Coton Sport of Garoua, the country’s most successful side and regular champions, have become something of a cautionary tale. After reaching the CAF Champions League final in 2008 and the semis in 2013, their recent campaigns have been dismal.
In the 2022-23 edition, Coton Sport reached the group stage but crashed out winless, six defeats from six matches left them bottom of Group B in humiliating fashion. The following season brought no improvement. They were dumped out in the first preliminary round by Real Bamako, losing 2-0 at home after a goalless draw away. For a club of Coton Sport’s pedigree, these results represent a staggering fall from grace.
No Cameroonian team has made it past the early rounds of CAF competitions in recent seasons. Colombe Sportive went as far as the second preliminary round but lost to USM Alger. It’s a stark decline for a nation that once boasted continental heavyweights, and it raises serious questions about the quality and competitiveness of the domestic game under Eto’o’s watch.
The Talent Pipeline Problem
One of Eto’o’s key campaign promises was creating a pathway for domestic-based players to earn moves to top European clubs. The reality has been disappointing. Most Cameroonian talent landing at big European sides continues to come from private academies rather than the Elite One or Elite Two.
Youth development has shown occasional flashes of promise. The U-20 lads won gold at the 2023 Francophonie Games in Kinshasa, beating Burkina Faso 2-1 in the final under 27-year-old coach Yvan Kenmoe. It marked Cameroon’s first-ever football gold at the tournament, and midfielder Arthur Avom earned best player honors before sealing a move to Lorient in France.
Similarly, the U-20 women’s side qualified for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and delivered what was hailed as the best debut by any African team in the competition’s history. But these bright spots have been isolated triumphs rather than evidence of systematic development. Investment across all youth categories remains inconsistent, and the production line from youth football to the senior sides keeps sputtering.
Indomitable Lions: Mixed Fortunes
The senior men’s national team has delivered a mixed bag of results that mirrors Eto’o’s rollercoaster tenure. At the 2021 AFCON, held in Cameroon in early 2022, the Indomitable Lions finished third on home soil. A respectable showing, but one that fell short of winning the trophy on their own patch. The 2023 edition in Ivory Coast (held in early 2024) brought a sharper decline. Cameroon bowed out in the Round of 16, failing to build on their third-place finish.
Then came the 2025 tournament in Morocco, which technically fell under Eto’o’s second mandate. The Indomitable Lions reached the quarterfinals before Morocco ended a long-running hoodoo by beating them 2-0. In three previous AFCON meetings, Morocco had never beaten Cameroon, until it mattered most.
But the real dagger came in World Cup qualifying. After finishing runners-up to Cape Verde in their group, Cameroon entered the African playoffs needing to beat Dr Congo. They lost 1-0, missing out on the global stage for a nation that’s appeared at eight World Cups, more than any other African country. Having only missed three tournaments since their 1982 debut, this failure stung badly.
Youth Teams Struggle
Beyond the senior setup, Cameroon’s youth sides have struggled to maintain consistency. The Baby Lions crashed out in the qualifying stage failing to make it to Morocco for the U20 AFCON. The previous U-17 AFCON in 2023 had been just as painful. Cameroon, defending champions at the time, suffered a shock group-stage exit . Critics pointed to Eto’o’s tendency to appoint coaches based on personal loyalty rather than proven track records, a decision-making approach that hasn’t yielded the desired results.
The intermediate Lions, made up of domestic-based players for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) have fared no better. The team failed to qualify for the last edition . For a country of Cameroon’s footballing heritage, these repeated early exits at youth and intermediate level represent a worrying trend.
Women’s Football in Freefall
Perhaps the most alarming decline under Eto’o’s leadership has been in women’s football. The Indomitable Lionesses, traditionally one of Africa’s powerhouses, have nosedived. At the 2022 Women’s AFCON in Morocco, Cameroon, finalists in 2004, 2014 and 2016 couldn’t get past the quarterfinals.
Worse followed. Cameroon failed to qualify for the 2024 Women’s AFCON after being knocked out by Kenya in the first qualifying round. That ended a remarkable streak of nearly 30 consecutive years of WAFCON participation. Missing the continental finals also meant no route to the Paris Olympics or the next Women’s World Cup.
The timing couldn’t be worse. As women’s football explodes globally and African rivals like Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco pump resources into their programs, Cameroon is sliding backwards. For observers across the continent, it’s a decline that’s both shocking and avoidable and one that falls squarely at FECAFOOT’s door.
Power Struggles at the Top
Running beneath all these on-field problems is a constant institutional battle between FECAFOOT and the Ministry of Sports. The ministry opposed Eto’o’s re-election assembly and called for it to be cancelled, accusing FECAFOOT of arbitrary club suspensions and exclusions that undermined the sport’s integrity.
The appointment of Marc Brys as national team boss in April 2024 imposed by the Ministry of Sports against Eto’o’s objections, has become a flashpoint.
In his re-election speech, Eto’o issued what many interpreted as a warning shot at Brys: “No player will be above Cameroon. No coach will be above Cameroon. Anyone who doesn’t accept this will face the consequences.” Which was clearly respected as Bry was replaced by David Pagou on the eve of AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
This power struggle creates an atmosphere of chaos. Clubs, players and coaches are caught in the middle, unsure which authority to follow. It’s a recipe for instability that undermines everything from league administration to national team preparation. Until Eto’o and the ministry find common ground, Cameroonian football will keep spinning its wheels.
The Verdict
Samuel Eto’o’s 97% re-election victory proves he still commands overwhelming support within FECAFOOT’s power structures. But that internal backing sits uncomfortably alongside mounting public frustration. The protesters outside the election venue, the ministry’s opposition, and the declining results across every level of the game tell a story of a federation in crisis.
His second term may be his last chance to make good on the promises that swept him to power. As a player, Eto’o knows what glory tastes like, two AFCON titles and an Olympic gold medal sit in his trophy cabinet. The question now is whether he can create the conditions for a new generation to experience that same success.
The domestic league needs stability. The women’s program needs rebuilding from the ground up. Youth development needs systematic investment rather than one-off triumphs. And most urgently, the institutional war with the Ministry of Sports has to end.
With the 2027 AFCON on the horizon and 2030 World Cup qualifying looming, time is running out. Cameroon’s football community, players, fans, coaches, are watching and waiting. This time, Eto’o must deliver more than promises. He must deliver results at all levels.
*Culled from Feb Issue Of PAV Magazine. Sports Journalist & African Athlete Brand Strategist Who Helps Athletes Land Sponsorships & Build Powerful Personal Brands
