The latest meeting of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), held Friday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, reportedly took a particularly tense turn. According to several reliable sources, the gathering, which was initially supposed to focus on organizational and governance issues, turned into a real session of explanations, even a settling of scores among some African football leaders.
At the heart of the discussions was the highly controversial refereeing of the last Africa Cup of Nations 2025 held in Morocco. Many refereeing decisions, deemed questionable by several federations, sparked a wave of criticism across the continent. This situation has fueled a climate of distrust within the governing body itself.
On the sidelines of the rather surprising statements from Olivier Safari Kabene, president of the referees’ commission, another sensitive topic emerged: the role and leadership of Patrice Motsepe. The South African leader, at the helm of CAF, is seen by some members as a “ghost president,” too distant and insufficiently involved in the day-to-day management of the organization.
In this charged atmosphere, Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot), reportedly spoke out firmly. Known for his straightforwardness and direct temperament, the former African football star expressed his frustration over what he sees as a lack of consideration. According to reports, Samuel Eto’o criticized Patrice Motsepe for not engaging in direct exchanges, preferring intermediaries instead of a “president-to-president” dialogue.
“Listen, big brother, you asked me not to say anything, to behave myself. I said nothing, but now I can’t take it anymore. I am Samuel Eto’o Fils. When I call you, it’s president to president. But every time I call you, you send someone else, when we should have a president-to-president relationship. Now, that’s it,” he reportedly declared, in a statement that left a mark.
Following his lead, other federation presidents also expressed their dissatisfaction, echoing the criticisms of CAF’s current governance. According to information shared by journalist Romain Molina, this unusual sequence illustrates the growing tensions at the top of African football, at a time when the body is called to strengthen its credibility and unity.
