It was with great surprise that I learned of the final communiqué of the FECAFOOT Emergency Committee meeting held on April 6, 2024, announcing the probable appointment, in the next few days, of another coaching staff for the Indomitable Lions.
There is every reason to believe that within the next few days, the Indomitable Lions will find themselves with two coaches, which would be unprecedented in the recent history of modern soccer.
Faced with this situation, which is likely to considerably tarnish the image of Cameroon and Cameroonian soccer, I feel it is my duty, as a citizen and as one of the major players in our game, to take a stand.
First of all, it is important to note that the collaboration agreement, signed on February 05, 2015 between the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education (MINSEP) and the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), was intended solely to facilitate the application of Presidential Decree No. 2014/384 of September 26, 2014 on the organization and functioning of Cameroon’s na
tional soccer teams.
By signing this agreement, FECAFOOT freely and voluntarily agreed to share some of its legal and regulatory attributions relating in particular to the recruitment (by FECAFOOT) and provision (by the State) of members of the national team management structures.
It is therefore clear that the radio press release from the Minister of Sports and Physical Education dated April 02, 2024, announcing the constitution and therefore the provision to FECAFOOT of a new technical, administrative, and medical support staff for the INDOMPTABLE LIONS, complies with the spirit and letter of article 9 of the MINSEP-FECAFOOT agreement of February 05, 2015.
Furthermore, the aforementioned radio press release can in no way constitute undue interference by MINSEP in the affairs of FECAFOOT, insofar as the people recruited by the State and placed at the disposal of FECAFOOT are supposed to work under the authority of FECAFOOT’s management, even if it means that the latter may subsequently identify and denoun
ce cases of insubordination.
About the question concerning the conformity of the provisions of article 9 of this agreement with those of the Presidential Decree of September 26, 2014, it is also important to point out that the current executive of FECAFOOT, in office for over two years, has not seen fit to denounce or call into question the said agreement. On the contrary, all FECAFOOT appointments of members of national team management structures in all categories systematically refer to the provisions of the MINSEP-FECAFOOT agreement of February 05, 2015.
So can FECAFOOT claim responsibility for its turpitude? Certainly not! At least, not to the detriment of Cameroon and Cameroonian soccer!
If the current directors of FECAFOOT are convinced that the Minister of Sports and Physical Education has not respected the applicable regulations, they have every opportunity to either open a frank dialogue with the authorities or to refer the matter to the competent courts and/or FIFA.
The choice of chaos as it see
ms to have been made by the FECAFOOT Executive Committee’s Emergency Committee will certainly face fierce opposition from a large majority of FECAFOOT member soccer clubs, whose voice I am speaking for here.
Any decision to appoint a second technical staff for the INDOMITABLE LIONS will immediately be vigorously contested before the competent national and international courts.
Furthermore, I can already announce that an urgent meeting of the Executive Board of the Association des Clubs de Football Amateur du Cameroun (ACFAC) will be held in Yaoundé this Monday, April 8, 2024, to examine the measures to be taken, in conjunction with other components of Cameroonian soccer, to put an end to the current crisis.
Source: Cameroon News Agency
