Samuel Eto’o, the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), has suffered a significant setback in his bid for a seat on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee. Despite his vast experience in the sport and his ambition to elevate African football, Eto’o’s candidacy was rejected due to “ethics issues”.

The decision was made by the CAF Governance Committee on January 24th, 2025, and comes as a surprise to many in the football world. While the exact nature of the allegations against Eto’o has not been publicly disclosed, it is believed to be linked to previous sanctions imposed on him by both FIFA and CAF. These sanctions stemmed from incidents during the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia and his controversial partnership with the betting platform 1XBet.

The rejection of Eto’o’s candidacy is a major blow to the Cameroonian football legend, who had hoped to use this position to strengthen Cameroon’s influence within African football and potentially pave the way for a future role on the FIFA Council.

Seidou Mbombo Njoya, former president of Fecafoot and a current CAF Executive Committee member, also saw his candidacy rejected. His application was deemed invalid as he did not receive the necessary endorsement from the current Fecafoot leadership, headed by Eto’o.

Both Eto’o and Njoya have the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the outcome of such appeals is uncertain. The CAF elections are scheduled for March 12, 2025, and the absence of these two prominent figures is sure to have a significant impact on the outcome of the vote.

The rejection of Eto’o and Njoya’s candidacies highlights the increasing scrutiny of governance and ethics within African football. It also raises questions about the future of Cameroonian football leadership, with both of the country’s most prominent figures in the sport now facing significant challenges.