The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has declared itself competent to examine appeals related to the electoral process of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), thus maintaining pressure on its president, Samuel Eto'o. This decision follows a challenge by the Cameroonian Association of Football Referees (ACAF) regarding the conduct of the elections.
CAS advisor Delphine Deschenaux Rochat confirmed the tribunal's competence in a letter dated May 5, 2026, stating that all internal appeal routes had been exhausted. Fecafoot now has 20 days to submit its defense.
In total, six appeals related to the Fecafoot elections are pending before CAS, including that of ACAF and other clubs, notably from the North-West Regional League. These appeals challenge the conditions under which the elections were organized, particularly at the departmental and regional levels.
The conflict stems from tensions between Fecafoot and the referees, particularly regarding the non-respect of the 2021 commitments relating to the professionalization of referees and the regular payment of their allowances. ACAF estimates that nearly 300 million FCFA in bonuses have been unpaid for several years and launched a strike in April 2025 to demand these payments, which led to its exclusion from the electoral process.
After exhausting internal remedies, ACAF brought the matter before CAS. Although Fecafoot challenged the tribunal's jurisdiction at a hearing in March 2026, the recent CAS decision marks an important step, although the merits of the case remain to be decided.
Since his re-election on November 29, 2025, Samuel Eto'o has faced several challenges. The Ministry of Sports had even requested the annulment of the elective general assembly due to irregularities, including the integration of fictitious clubs. Despite this, the vote was maintained under the supervision of FIFA and CAF.
Fecafoot faces several challenges simultaneously, including a conviction by CAS in the case against the National Union of Cameroonian Footballers (Synafoc), a disciplinary sanction from CAF imposed on Eto'o, and a court decision ordering the reimbursement of more than one billion FCFA to travel agencies. The next step in the ACAF – FECAFOOT case will be the final ruling by CAS.
Lawyer Jim Noah, an observer of the Cameroonian sports scene, downplayed the legal significance of the CAS decision, stressing that the admissibility of an appeal does not prejudge the outcome of the dispute and that FECAFOOT has the means to defend its position.
