South African Patrice Motsepe has been re-elected unopposed as President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), securing a second four-year term.
He was re-elected during CAF’s extraordinary general assembly held in Cairo on Wednesday, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in attendance.
Motsepe initially assumed the role four years ago in Morocco, succeeding Malagasy Ahmad Ahmad, who had been suspended by FIFA due to financial misconduct.
CAF Secretary-General Veron Mosengo-Omba credited Motsepe with improving the organization’s finances and governance, saying, “Patrice was a gift for African football. In 2021, CAF was a toxic body. He brought good governance to all levels of the organization.”
Additionally, former Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o was elected to the CAF executive committee by acclamation in Cairo, as the only candidate from the central Africa region.
Eto’o, 44, became eligible after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned a CAF ban on him last week.
His elevation to the executive came during the CAF extraordinary general assembly, which is an annual gathering of top football officials from the continent.
Eto’o, now the president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), joins the supreme decision-making body of African football.
CAF had banned Eto’o last year after finding him guilty of breaching ethics standards by becoming a brand ambassador for a betting organization.
The ban also included a $200,000 (€185,000) fine, which was later annulled.
Eto’o, born in Douala, Cameroon, has been involved in several controversies since taking over as FECAFOOT president in 2021.
He was caught on video assaulting a football fan outside a stadium after a match at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, later apologizing for the incident.
FIFA also banned Eto’o from attending Cameroon’s national team matches for six months due to misconduct during the Women’s U-20 World Cup in Colombia.
Despite these controversies, Eto’o is widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest footballers.
He helped Cameroon win the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games football tournament and was part of the victorious teams at the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Eto’o played in four World Cups and six AFCON tournaments, scoring a record 18 goals in the African competition.
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