Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published Saturday, December 27, 2025, 12:06 / Updated Saturday, December 27, 2025 12:07
Samuel Eto'o (44), president of the Cameroon Football Federation, reacted on Wednesday to persistent rumors about his possible political ambitions, rejecting the idea that he would pursue the position of president of Cameroon.
In an interview with the publication Le Monde Afrique, the former great striker spoke both about the goals of the Cameroon national team and about the difficulties he faces in exercising power at the head of the federation.
Samuel Eto'o “dribbled” the answer: “People think I want to become head of state”
Re-elected in November as president of the Cameroon Football Federation, a position he holds from 2021, Samuel Eto'o, the best scorer in the history of the Cameroon national team, explained why political speculation creates problems for him.
“To become the president of Cameroon? This question causes 99% of my problems todaybecause people see that I am even more popular than I was as a player and they say to themselves: «He definitely wants to become head of state».
This creates problems for me, including those who sit in the shadows and wait for the opportunity to become president,” said Samuel Eto'o.
Scandal before the Africa Cup of Nations: the Aboubakar case
Just two weeks before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations, Samuel Eto'o would have been accused of trying to prevent Vincent Aboubakar (33), the striker of Hatayspor, from joining the Cameroon team.
The reason given in the media was that Aboubakar is dangerously close to Eto'o's goalscoring record for the national team, being just 12 away.
According to emerging information, the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation would have played an important role in the surprising exclusion of Aboubakar, one of the iconic figures of Cameroonian football.
Aboubakar, absent from the Cameroon squad for CAN + Between the stumps is a Dynamo player
Six days after the allegations emerged, Cameroon's official squad for the Africa Cup of Nations was announced and Vincent Aboubakar was not among the players called up.
The team includes the goalkeeper Devis Epassy, registered with Dinamo Bucharest, the one who defended the goal of the “lions” in the first stage. After the first match played at the Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon beat Gabon 1-0 and occupy first place in Group F, perfectly tied with Ivory Coast.
Africa Cup of Nations, Group F standings
