African Football Legend "Samuel Eto’o", Elected As Cameroon Football Federation President.

African football legend Samuel Eto'o has just been elected president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) for the next four years as announced by the Country's FA.

The former Cameroonian international, had initially announced his intention to run for the post on September 22, after criticizing the ousted president of Fecafoot of "failing miserably" and it's time to "launch the reconstruction of Cameroonian soccer".

Eto'o was officially announced as the new President on Saturday at the federation’s general assembly to lead the Cameroon Football Federation.

The former Barcelona, Inter, and Chelsea plsyer garnered 43 votes, ahead of the incumbent president Mbombo Njoya, who received 31 votes. 

Seidou Mbombo Njoya who is the fourth Vice- President at the Confederation of African Football, was elected in 2018, but his election was contested by several actors of Cameroonian soccer, and canceled in mid-January by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Seven candidates should have contested the elections, but five of them pulled out on the morning of the elections, leaving only Eto'o and Mbombo to fight for the position.

Among those who gave up their candidacy on Saturday morning were former Cameroon internationals Maboang Kesack and Jules Denis Onana.

Eto'o after his victory promised a wide range of reforms to improve the sport, including constructing at least 10 stadiums during his mandate.

"I've spoken to the business community and we're certain we'll get the right investors who can accompany us in fulfilling our goals," Eto'o had said prior to the polls.

"We have to bring footballers to the centre of our policies," he added

"It is our role to ensure that those who play this discipline make a decent living out of it."

Reacting to the development, the four-time African Footballer of the Year said in a social media post, “I’ll be remembering today as one of the proudest moments of my life. 

"I’m deeply grateful to be elected as new president of Fecafoot. Every single vote represents the energy and ambition of our football family to take our beloved sport to a level we’ve never seen before. Let’s get to work."

The Cameroonian all time top-scorer (56), and the Indomitable Lions second highest appearance maker (118), helped his country to win two successive Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002 respectively, and went on to become the tournament's record scorer with 18 goals.

In 2000, he guided Cameroon to an Olympic gold medal, scoring in the final.

The 40-year-old had a blistering career during his days as a professional footballer, having joined Spanish giants Real Madrid at age 16, before enjoying loan spells with Leganes, Espanyol and Mallorca.

He moved in to join Barcelona in 2004 where he won three La Liga titles, helping the Catalans to two Champions League triumphs in 2006 and 2009, scoring in both finals.

In 2006, Eto'o became the first and only African to win the Spanish Golden Boot after netting 26 times in 34 matches.

The forward scored a total of 108 goals in 144 games for the Blaugrana side before joining Inter Milan in 2009, where he won his third Champions League crown as well as a Serie A title and the Fifa Club World Cup in 2010.

Eto's first task as the new president, is to oversee Cameroon’s hosting of the African Cup of Nations tournament set into begin January 9 to February 7, 2022.

Cameroon are also bidding to reach their first World Cup since 2014, after edging out Ivory Coast in the group stages of the 2022 Africa World Cup qualifying games, to reach the play off round.