Samuel Eto'o wins election to become Cameroon football federation president

Four-time Africa's player of the year Samuel Eto'o has been voted as the new FECAFOOT president after deposing the incumbent in a difficult election. (Photo credit: GOAL)

Former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o has been elected the president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) on Saturday.

The four-time African footballer of the year deposed the incumbent president after a gruesome campaign that lasted a month, just before the country hosts the rest of Africa at the next Africa Cup of Nations.

Eto'o got 43 votes against the outgoing president, Seidou Mbombo Njoya’s 31 from FECAFOOT’s general assembly and the latter will now focus on his Confederation of African Football vice-presidential role which he currently occupies.

"We have to bring footballers to the centre of our policies," he said afterwards. "It is our role to ensure that those who play this discipline make a decent living out of it."

Eto'o, 40, will take over an organisation long tainted by infighting, mismanagement and allegations of corruption.

Football's global governing body FIFA has intervened several times to end bickering among FECAFOOT officials

Eto'o had initially been disqualified from running because he is also a Spanish citizen, but the ruling that nobody with dual nationality could run for office was challenged and later tossed out.

He received widespread support from many former teammates in a high profile campaign during which he pledged to rid the game in Cameroon of corruption.