Legendary Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o elected president of Cameroon FA

Former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o will run Cameroonian football for the next four years after he was elected elected president of the country's FA on Saturday.

The 40-year-old is one of the country's greatest ever players after scoring 56 goals in 118 appearances during his international career.

Eto'o, who won the African Footballer of the Year on four occasions, defeated rival Seidou Mbombo Njoya - who was the interim president of the country's football federation (Fecafoot), by 43 votes to 31.

Reacting to the news on Instagram, Eto'o posted: 'I'll be remembering today as one of the proudest moments of my life.

'I'm deeply grateful to be elected as the new president of @fecafootofficiel.

'Every single vote represents the energy and ambition of our football family to take our beloved sport to a level we've never seen before. Let's get to work.'

Eto'o has promised a wide range of reforms to help the sport thrive in the country and has promised to construct at least 10 stadiums during his mandate.

As reported by the BBC, Eto'o said: 'We have to bring footballers to the centre of our policies.

'It is our role to ensure that those who play this discipline make a decent living out of it.'

Seven candidates should have originally contested the elections, but five of them pulled out on the morning of the vote.

Among those giving up their candidacy on Saturday morning were former Cameroon internationals Maboang Kesack and Jules Denis Onana.

Eto'o's candidacy received a lot of attention with the proceedings of the election broadcast live on national Cameroon television.

His appointment comes just a month before the country hosts the African Cup of Nations which is set to run from January 9 to February 6.