Beauties, beasts of football in 2014

In his traditional end of year message, President Biya omitted sports and football the king sport for the first time in years. Many expected to hear something about football and sports generally which had constituted an aspect of Biya’s end of year speech over the years.

The expectations were however hinged on the fact that Cameroon was accorded the organization of the 2019 Nations Cup and the 2016 African Women Championship.

The Lions qualified for the Nations Cup without conceding a goal topping group D with 14 points and showcasing young talents like Fabrice Ondoua, Njie Clinton besides and Aboubakar Vincent, nominated for the African Player of the Year Award in different categories.

The Lionesses qualified for the World Cup for the first time in the history of their existence after a spectacular performance at African Women Championship in Namibia where they finished as vice-African Champions.

Cotonsport emerged winners of League 1 and also the champions of Cameroon, standing out as one of the lone professional club in the country in some quarters.

Nonetheless, Cameroon’s football image was damaged after the 2014 World Cup, not only with their woeful football results, losing all the matches conceding nine goals but also beastly behavior in front of displayed to the world.

Assou Ekotto and Benjamin Moukandjo were seen in an open fight while Alexandre Song elbowed Mario Mandžuki? and was suspended for four months.

He was one of the players suspected to have sold the match with investigation still underway. Also, one of the reasons he has not been called back to the team despite his top form with English Side West Ham.

The disorder witnessed during the World Cup left scars on its passage as Samuel Eto’o Fils the four times African Player of the Year was dropped from Finke’s squad that qualified the Nations Cup. He immediately announced retirement from international football.In club, he has also witnessed a scarcity of goals.

The Lions staff also witnessed changes after the World Cup with the departure of Song Bahanag, replaced by former player Alphonse Tchami, the departure of Matin Ndtougou Pile and the appointment of new assistants, Djonkep Bonaventure and Alexandre Belinga.

Football normalization still witnessed criticisms as the Normalisation Committee install to redress football witnessed another prolongation for the second time from November 30 to February 28.

The committee initially put in place on July 22 to revise the statutes, conduct elections and run the federation, had the first extension from March to November 30.

The second extension was hinged on the fact that the government sent representatives to Zurich to indicate that a looming insecurity if elections were allowed to take place in an atmosphere of criticisms.

While the elections at the divisions were without hitches though with complaints, regional elections witnessed an open fight in Douala leading to a rescheduling of elections.

When the electoral commission proclaimed one eligible candidate, Tombi A Roko Sidiki many saw this as a ploy to have the candidate elected.

The five candidates constituted themselves into a group and have been looking for strategies to discredit the elections and to force the present Secretary General, of Fecafoot Tombi Aroko Sidiki to resign. Fifa insisted that the statutes should be vulgarized for delegates to have a grasp and this would be done again.

Also, a member of the Normalisation Committee, Ngassa Happy resigned saying he had promised to do so if the mandate of the committee was postponed for a second time. To him, this meant the failure of the committee.

On a sad note, Cameroon lost a striker, Albert Ebosse in Algeria who died under suspicious circumstances after a game in which he scored the lone goal only for his side JSK to lose.

While the Algerians said a sharp object thrown from the crowed killed Ebosse, a counter autopsy by Cameroonian doctor, Anatomist-Pathologists Dr. Andre Moune indicate that he was killed in the dressing room. The Algerians for their part have contested the Cameroon autopsy and the medical battle has continued.

2015 has much in store as the Lions are set to start training in Yaounde with a friendly ahead of the Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea.

The Lionesses would have a busy year with the qualifiers of the All Africa Games, qualifiers for the Olympic Games and participate in the World Cup in Canada.

Cameroon U-17 Lions are on the starting block for the Championship in Niger, The baby Lions qualified after Ghana was faulted for aligning over-aged players.

Fecafoot elections set for February 2, as has been the case in the past, remains a hot potato which has to be handled with care.