According to an investigation by The Guardian published on 13 October 2026, Samuel Eto’o, president of FECAFOOT, and three other officials are manoeuvring to succeed Patrice Motsepe, whose leadership is under heavy internal pressure. None of them has filed a formal candidacy.
An investigation by The Guardian, published on 13 October 2026, names Samuel Eto’o, president of FECAFOOT and a member of the CAF Executive Committee, among four major figures in African football preparing their bids to succeed Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football.
Alongside him: Ahmed Yahya, president of the Mauritanian Football Federation and CAF vice-president, Yacine Idriss Diallo, president of the Ivorian Football Federation, and Souleiman Waberi, president of the Djiboutian Football Federation and a member of the FIFA Council. None of the four has so far filed a formal candidacy, the British investigation states.
Meanwhile, the CAF president’s leadership is under heavy internal pressure, following the reversals and tensions surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations calendar, according to Foot Africa.
Waberi caught up in a financial controversy
Souleiman Waberi is also facing a financial controversy in Djibouti. Accusations he flatly denies, according to The Guardian.
A deadline has been set: the CAF Executive Committee is to meet in Abidjan in November 2026 to rule on governance and the calendar.