By Samuel Eto’o is running in December’s election for the presidency of the Cameroon football federation, the former Barcelona star said on Wednesday.
The role as football chief in the country set to host January’s Africa Cup of Nations became vacant when the incumbent Seidou Mbombo Njoya saw his tenure cancelled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Eto’o had supported Mbomo’s election campaign, but two years after his retirement from playing the 40-year-old says his passion for the game is driving him back.
“I am honoured and pleased to announce my candidacy for the Presidency of the Cameroon Football Federation. After careful considerations, I have decided to take this initiative out of love for Cameroon and passion for our football,” Eto’o said on social media.
“It would be an honour to be at the service of the establishment that has bestowed upon me all the accolades I’ve received so far.
“Waiting is not an option. It is time to rebuild our football. We can no longer delay the revamping of our number one sport because the rest of the world is moving on; it is progressing without us.”
Samuel Eto’o, born March 10, 1981is a Cameroonian retired professional footballer who played as a striker. In his prime, Eto’o was regarded by pundits as one of the best strikers in the world, and he is regarded as one of the greatest African players of all time, winning the African Player of the Year a record four times: in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2010.
A precocious talent, Eto’o moved to Real Madrid as a 16 year old. Due to competition in his position with more experienced players, he had several loan spells, before signing for Mallorca in 2000 where he scored 70 goals. His impressive form saw him join Barcelona in 2004 where he scored 130 goals in five seasons and also became the record holder for the most appearances by an African player in La Liga.
As a member of the Cameroon national team, Eto’o was a part of the squad that won the Gold Medal at the 2000 Olympics. He also won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002. Eto’o has participated in four World Cups and six Africa Cup of Nations. He is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, with 18 goals, and is Cameroon’s all-time leading scorer and third most capped player, with 56 goals in 118 caps.
Eto’o announced his retirement from international football in August 2014.
