Samuel Eto’o could soon aim for an even more prestigious position. At the head of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), the former striker would have the ambition to succeed Patrice Motsepe as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), according to The Guardian. A prospect which could gain momentum as the South African leader goes through a delicate period.
In question, the project to reestablish the African Cup of Nations every two years. This development should be confirmed next month, during a meeting of the CAF executive committee in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. But the method used by Motsepe would have caused internal tensions. Several presidents of African federations were not informed of this change in the calendar before its announcement during a strategic conference organized last week.
Despite his popularity on the continent, the president of CAF would therefore not be guaranteed to keep his chair. Patrice Motsepe himself indicated at the end of July that he did not intend to seek a new mandate. His future could also depend on Gianni Infantino. The Fifa boss is reportedly seeking to consolidate his support in Africa, while his relations with Motsepe, which have cooled in recent months, have recently improved.
Samuel Eto’o dreams of taking charge of CAF
In this context, several leaders could try to position themselves for possible succession. Samuel Eto’o would be one of the potential candidates, alongside Idriss Diallo, president of the Ivorian Federation, Ahmed Yahya, head of the Mauritanian federation, and Souleiman Waberi, his Djiboutian counterpart. The last two would have notably opposed the return to a CAN organized every two years. All would seek support from Infantino if Motsepe were to leave office before the end of his term, scheduled for 2029.
Another possibility would exist to challenge the position of the current president: resort to the mechanisms provided for by the CAF statutes, provided that a written request is supported by at least two thirds of the members of the executive committee. For the moment, there is no indication that such a procedure will be initiated. But, according to The GuardianSamuel Eto’o would privately harbor the ambition of one day taking control of African football.
