South African Patrice Motsepe has been re-elected unopposed as the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), securing a second four-year term. The re-election took place at CAF’s extraordinary general assembly in Cairo on Wednesday, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in attendance.
Motsepe first took over as CAF president four years ago in Morocco, succeeding Malagasy Ahmad Ahmad, who was suspended by FIFA for financial misconduct. Since then, Motsepe has earned praise for improving CAF’s finances and governance. CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, who commended Motsepe’s leadership, described him as a “gift” to African football, adding that he had brought much-needed good governance to the organization after it was in a “toxic” state in 2021.
In other CAF news, former Cameroon football star Samuel Eto’o was also elected to the CAF executive committee by acclamation. Eto’o, the only candidate from the Central Africa region, was eligible for the position only after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned a CAF ban on him. This ban was imposed after he was found guilty of an ethics breach by representing a betting organization as a brand ambassador. Following his election, Eto’o, now president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), joined CAF’s supreme decision-making body.
Eto’o’s controversial past includes multiple incidents. He was caught on camera assaulting a football fan outside a stadium after a 2022 World Cup match in Qatar, though he later apologized, acknowledging that his actions were out of character. Additionally, he was banned by FIFA for six months from attending national team matches following misconduct at the Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Colombia. Eto’o has also had public disagreements with Cameroon’s national team coach, Marc Brys.
Despite the controversies, Eto’o is regarded as one of Africa’s greatest footballers. He played a key role in Cameroon’s victories at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Eto’o also represented his country in four World Cups and six AFCON tournaments, becoming the top scorer in AFCON history with 18 goals.
