The 43-year-old former striker, who has had an illustrious career with top clubs such as Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Chelsea, has been serving as the president of the Cameroon Football Federation since 2021. However, his tenure has not been without controversy. In September, FIFA banned him from attending any national team games for six months after finding him guilty of breaching disciplinary rules related to "offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play," as well as misconduct by officials.
Additionally, in July 2023, CAF fined Eto’o, a four-time African Footballer of the Year, $200,000 for "seriously violating the principles of ethics, integrity, and sportsmanship" by becoming a brand ambassador for a betting organization. However, Eto’o’s lawyers announced in February that the fine had been overturned on appeal.
The upcoming CAF elections, scheduled for next Wednesday in Cairo, will see the 54 member federations elect their leadership. CAF President Patrice Motsepe, a South African billionaire, is running unopposed for a second four-year term. FIFA President Gianni Infantino is expected to attend the event. With the CAS ruling, Eto’o has been granted a last-minute opportunity to compete for a seat on CAF’s executive committee.
In a statement, CAS explained, "The CAS panel concluded that sufficient evidence was presented to overturn the CAF executive committee’s decision regarding Mr. Eto’o’s ineligibility. The final evaluation of the candidates will now be conducted by the CAF extraordinary general assembly meeting on March 12, 2025."