Motsepe insists Eto’o’s CAF Executive Committee role is an inspiration to young Africans

Eto’o, the four-time African Footballer of the Year, was elected unopposed as Central Africa’s representative in the CAF Exco.

Motsepe revealed that Eto’o had visited him in South Africa before these elections, and he hopes his election will help bring unity to Cameroonian football.

"I'm very proud of Samuel Eto'o, I've been proud of him for many many years and will continue to be proud of him. The problem has been, I made an announcement [because] I got feedback that football in Cameroon is divided,” Motsepe said.

“So, we need them to unite and Samuel Eto'o has been elected as one of the leaders and what is important is we've gotta support him and support those who've been elected, including those who are part of a different grouping, bring them all together. 

“Samuel Eto'o came to see me in South Africa, I've been talking to him all the time, what is important for me is not just Samuel Eto'o but every single young footballer, whether it’s a football administrator or a football player, you have to have dreams of participating and being active in football at the highest level. So, it's very, very important and part of my job is to help, it's to encourage."

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Prior to these elections, Eto’o had been barred from standing for any position in these elections by the CAF governance committee, a decision that he appealed successfully to the CAF Appeals Committee and to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, as Motsepe explains.

"A decision was taken by the governing committee which was reversed by CAS and that's great. We will always respect and support any decision that's taken. Let me tell you something else when Samuel Eto'o came to see me in South Africa it was before the decision was taken to reinstate him and I said to him when he came to see me in South Africa that, we as Africans we cannot give up on other participants in football,” Motsepe added.

“Whether they are different views or different perspectives and we will always be there. In fact, he's been talking to me all the time but we've gotta be careful that whatever may have happened with Eto'oo in the past, that is the past, it shouldn't be held against him."