By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, Cameroon – Four-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto’o has been elected into the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly in Cairo on Wednesday.
Eto’o, also president of the Cameroon Football Federation, was elected unopposed as a representative for the Central African region less than a week after winning an appeal to stand for the post.
Samuel Eto’o was excluded by CAF’s governance committee in January but appealed his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, who ruled in his favour.
Eto’o’s growing role in African football leadership fuels speculation about his long-term ambitions in CAF and beyond. Many see his entry into the Executive Committee as a stepping stone toward a bigger leadership position within the continental football body.
During the gathering, South African mining magnate Patrice Motsepe was re-elected unopposed as Confederation of African Football president at the organisation’s congress in Cairo until 2029.
The 63-year-old Motsepe will serve a second four-year term after being first elected in 2021. His candidature was also unopposed and heavily backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Motsepe’s re-election comes after a first term widely praised for stabilizing CAF’s finances and boosting its global profile. Under his leadership, the organization set several new records at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Cote d’Ivoire 2023, attracting a record 1.4 billion viewers worldwide.
“The goal remains to make African football globally competitive, stabilizing finances, and investing in infrastructure,” Mosepe said.
Prizemoney for major tournaments, including the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, has also increased significantly, alongside enhanced financial support for Member Associations.
CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba is among those who have credited Motsepe with improving the finances and governance of the organisation. “Patrice was a gift for African football. In 2021 CAF was a toxic body. He brought good governance to all levels of the organisation,” Mosengo-Omba said ahead of the meeting.
