By Boris Esono Nwenfor
Former Indomitable Lions of Cameroon player Jules Denis Onana has become the first candidate to officially announce he's running for the presidency of the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT.
On his official Twitter page, he said "I am running for the Presidency at FECAFOOT".
Jules Denis Onana has vast experience in the management of football in the country has been at the helm of Elite 1 team Canon Sportif of Yaounde. The defender is also a former FIFA Player's agent and is currently the Director of the newly constructed Olembe Stadium that will host the opening and closing games of the AFCON.
Jules Onana participated in the 1990 FIFA World Cup for Cameroon and played three matches; against Romania, the USSR and Colombia. He also participated in the 1990 and 1992 Africa Cup of Nations.
His career spanned some 14 years beginning his carer with Canon Yaounde (1988-94); Aigle Nkongsamba (1995); Blagnac FC (1996); Persma Manado (1997-2000); Persis Solo (2001) and Pelita Krakatau Steel (2002). He won the Cameroon championship in 2001 and also the Cameroon Cup.
Elections for the top job of Cameroon’s football governing body is expected this October after the elections of the Divisional and Regional bureaus of FECAFOOT.
At the moment, just Jules has indicated his intentions officially but it is expected that three others will be joining the race. This includes the incumbent president Seidou Mbombo Njoya, who was elected CAF’s 4th vice president and two former indomitable Lions’ players in Geremi Njitap and Samuel Eto’o.
For the latter, it is no secret that there has been a grassroots campaign for several weeks now and even behind the scenes to get the all-time AFCON goal scorer to the presidency. Supporters of Samuel Eto’o at FECAFOOT have slowly been removed from their positions as the incumbent feels his authority has been neglected.
The Secretary-General Benjamin Banlock and other key figures including some presidents of clubs have been relieved of their functions during a recent FECAFOOT Executive Committee meeting. The picture of the final candidates for the presidency will be known in the weeks ahead.