Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
On December 16, the president of CAF convened an important meeting at the organization’s headquarters. Following this gathering, the official list of candidates for the CAF Executive Committee was unveiled. Among the contenders were Samuel Eto’o, the current president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot), and his fellow compatriot Seidou Mbombo Njoya, who will clash for the UNIFFAC (Central Africa) zone position. Eto’o and Njoya are no strangers to rivalry, having previously clashed for the presidency of Fecafoot—a contest Eto’o won in 2021. This time, the stakes have been raised, as the battle moves from the national level to the continental stage with Samuel Eto’o determined to secure victory again in March 2025.
Could Samuel Eto’o’s Candidacy Be Jeopardized?
Reports from Quotidien suggest that Seidou Mbombo Njoya could be CAF’s preferred candidate due to his close ties with CAF President Patrice Motsepe. However, Eto’o is banking on the rule requiring candidates to have the endorsement of their national federation, a condition he meets but which could disadvantage Njoya.
Sources allege that CAF might consider rejecting Eto’o’s candidacy in favor of Njoya, an action that could sideline one of African football’s most prominent figures from a key position in the Executive Committee. Eto’o, however, remains defiant, stating during an interview on RFI: “No one can stop me from running.” The four-time African Ballon d’Or winner is confident of his chances and counts on the support of Patrice Motsepe.
Final List of Candidates for the CAF Executive Committee
North African Football Union (UNAF)
Hussein Jenayah (Tunisia)
Walid Sadi (Algeria)
Central-East Zone (CECAFA)
Wallace Karia (Tanzania)
Moses Hassim Magogo (Uganda)
Union of Central African Football Federations (UNIFFAC)
Samuel Eto’o Fils (Cameroon)
Jean Guy Blaise Mayolas (Congo)
Seidou Mbombo Njoya (Cameroon)
Célestin Yanindji (Central African Republic)
Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA)
Elvis Raja Chetty (Seychelles)
Sobha Mohamad Ally Samir (Mauritius)
Mac Lean C. Letshwiti (Botswana)
Feizal Ismael Sidat (Mozambique)
Alfred Randriamanampisoa (Madagascar)
West African Football Union (WAFU) A
Mustapha Raji
West African Football Union (WAFU) B
Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku (Ghana)
Women’s Football
Bestime Kazadi Ditabala (DR Congo)
Anastacia Tsichlas (South Africa)
