Cameroon’s favourite son, Samuel Eto’o, has made it to CAF’s executive committee against all odds.

Eto’o, who celebrated his 44th birthday on 10 March, could have easily missed out, but in the end it was a walk in the park as he was a lone candidate from the Central Africa region.

The ex-Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Chelsea player is now a part of the African governing body’s supreme decision-making team.

However, it could have gone either way given the controversies surrounding him since he became Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) president in 2021.

Eto’o’s name has been marred in controversy over the past few years, and last year, it appeared to be the final nail in the coffin when CAF slapped him with a ban for having “seriously violated the principles of ethics, integrity, and sportsmanship” by becoming a brand ambassador for a betting organization.

The four-time African Footballer of the Year was also fined $200,000 (R3.6 million).

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the ban on 3 March this year, just in time for Eto’o to be eligible to run for a position in CAF’s executive committee. It was indeed an early birthday present for the former striker.

Eto’o, who apparently has ambitions to become CAF president, would do well to steer clear of controversies.

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he was caught on tape assaulting a football fan outside a stadium in Qatar and later apologized.

It’s also well-documented that FIFA banned him from attending Cameroon men’s and women’s national team matches for six months after verbally abusing match officials at the Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Colombia.

With him being in CAF’s executive committee, the spotlight would be firmly on him and depending on his contribution and how he conducts himself, he may well fulfill his dream of running CAF someday.