By Samuel Eto’o, has won the right to be included in the list of candidates for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee elections, following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Eto’o, the president of the Cameroon Football Federation, was initially disqualified by CAF’s governance committee in January 2025, but he successfully appealed the decision to CAS, which ruled in his favor.
“Following a hearing on 3 March 2025, it is ordered that the CAF executive committee includes Eto’o in the list of candidates for election to the committee,” CAS stated, adding that CAF’s Extraordinary General Assembly on 12 March will now assess his candidacy.
While CAF did not provide reasons for his initial exclusion, Eto’o has faced controversy and disciplinary actions in recent years. In September 2024, FIFA banned him from attending Cameroon’s national team matches for six months over alleged verbal abuse of match officials at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia. Additionally, CAF had previously sanctioned him over alleged ethical breaches regarding a betting company ambassadorship, though the ban and a $200,000 fine were overturned on appeal.
Despite being one of Africa’s greatest footballers, Eto’o remains a divisive figure in football administration, both in Cameroon and internationally.
CAF elections, set for March 12, will determine the organization’s leadership, including representatives on the FIFA Council. However, CAF president Patrice Motsepe is running unopposed for a second four-year term.
