Samuel Eto'o Tightens Grip on Cameroonian Football with Decisive Re-election

Former international Samuel Eto’o has been re-elected as the President of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), securing an emphatic mandate for another four-year term.

The 43-year-old former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker was the sole candidate in the presidential election held on Saturday, November 29, 2025, receiving near-unanimous support from the federation’s delegates at the CAF Centre of Excellence in Mbankomo.

The official results showed Eto’o garnered 85 votes out of the 87 cast, with the remaining two ballots declared invalid. This landslide victory gives him a remarkable score of 97.7 percent, marking clear continuity with the strong backing he enjoyed during his first term. 

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Eto’o, a four-time African Footballer of the Year and one of the continent’s most decorated players, was first elected in December 2021 on a platform promising transparency and a clean-up of the country’s football administration.

However, his first tenure was not without significant hurdles. He faced intense legal scrutiny, ethics investigations by regional bodies, and highly publicized disagreements with the country's Ministry of Sports over coaching appointments. 

Yet, the overwhelming nature of Saturday’s vote suggests that these external controversies did little to dampen his popularity among the local football delegates who control the federation’s future.

Despite facing several challenges during his initial tenure, including legal scrutiny and public disagreements with the sports ministry, his re-election demonstrates strong internal confidence in his leadership and vision. 

His first term featured efforts to professionalize the domestic league, upgrade infrastructure, and strengthen national teams across all levels. Under his watch, player salaries in the local league were standardized, and attendance at domestic matches saw a gradual resurgence. 

Supporters of Eto’o point to these structural changes as vital progress that had been stalled for decades under previous administrations.

His second term is expected to focus on deepening the reforms introduced over the past four years while navigating the complex dynamics of football governance in Cameroon. 

The focus will likely shift toward sustainability—ensuring that the financial models introduced for clubs can survive long-term and that the youth development programs begin to yield talent for the senior national teams.