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Cameroon football legend Samuel Eto’o officially submitted his candidacy on Wednesday November 17th 2021 to run for the presidency of Cameroon Football Federation.
Eto’o drew a large crowd eager to watch him as he arrived at the Cameroonian federation’s offices in the capital Yaounde to submit his candidacy for next month’s Cameroon football elections.
“I am looking forward to rebuilding Cameroonian football and giving the game the grandeur it deserves,” the former Barcelona star told reporters after submitting his candidacy. Eto’o will face incumbent president Seidou Mbombo Njoya in the election which is scheduled for December 11. The former captain of the Cameroon national team, the indomitable Lions said his decision to seek elective post as president Fecafoot is motivated by “love for Cameroon and passion for our football.”
Eto’o has promised to revive and give visibility to ailing domestic championship and rekindle the winning spirit within national football teams, especially the women’s national football team; four-time finalists in the African Cup of Nations without a trophy.
“It is time to rebuild our football. We can no longer delay the revamping of our number sport,” the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations said in the statement declaring his candidacy.
The former striker who has played in some of the world’s leading football clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Inter Milan in Italy and Chelsea in England has also committed “not to pocket a cent of the monthly allowances” provided for the FA boss, but to use such cash for the development of amateur soccer as well as maximise on his personality to draw external funding.
Samuel Eto'o turned 40 on Wednesday, prompting celebrations and tributes in the world of African for one of the continent's all-time greats. He is remembered as a big game player due to his impact in several high-profile games.
On the other hand, Ivorian and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba is still hopeful of becoming president of the Ivorian Football Federation. When his candidacy for the presidency of the Ivorian Football Federation was invalidated by its electoral commission, Didier Drogba turned to FIFA. The latter suspended the process and appointed a committee to investigate.
On August 26, the electoral commission of the FIF rejected the candidacies of Didier Drogba and Paul Kouadio Koffi, and validated those of Sory Diabaté, vice president of the Federation and president of the Professional Football League, and Idriss Diallo, former number two of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF).
FIFA was quick to react, issuing a letter written by Senegalese Fatma Samoura, its general secretary.
It suspended the electoral process by asking the BIF to provide it with several documents “in order to have an overview and to intervene if necessary to ensure that the electoral process complies with the statutory and regulatory requirements of FIFA applicable to all its member associations.”
It also decided on September 1 to appoint a committee composed of two members of FIFA, CAF and a representative of the Union of West African Football Associations (UFOA). This committee will be in charge of hearing from several people, including members of the electoral committee and the current president of FIFA.
All Ivorian football now awaits the outcome of FIFA-CAF committee’s investigation.