FIFA Threatens to Suspend Cameroon

The threat of suspension currently hangs over Cameroon like the axe of Damocles following the decision of the Minister of Sports and Physical Education to pry into the electoral process of Fecafoot. In a letter dated April 4th, the Secretary General of the world football governing body, Jerome Valcke in a disguised threat said the decision of the minister to suspend and hold a broad based consultation as well as the stalling of the election process in the regional leagues by administrative authorities constitutes interference which is in violation of articles13 and 17 of Fifa regulations.

The world football governing body has therefore given up to Tuesday April 9th, for the Cameroon Football Federation to write back to FIFA to confirm that the government has put off its hands from the affairs of the federation. Failure to do so, the issue will be forwarded to the appropriate instance of FIFA for disciplinary action. Coincidentally, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Adoum Garoua had planned to begin the broad-based consultations with all the members of the football family in Cameroon to run on April 9th to 23rd.

The FIFA threat comes as a surprise as the Secretary General of FECAFOOT, Tombi A Roko published a communiqué at the website of the federation dated March 26th, refuting allegations raised by 'Le Messager' Newspaper that FECAFOOT had complained to Fifa. The reaction of the Minister of Sports and Physical Education is still awaited. Though some media announced that Adoum Garoua has already reacted, the information was refuted by the director of norms and monitoring of sport federations, Evele Malik.

The government has had a long history of conflict with the Cameroon football federation and each time the government pries into the activities of the federation, FECAFOOT runs to FIFA like a child who reports to the parents when offended by a stranger. The erstwhile president of FECAFOOT, Vincent Onana, spent two years in prison over accusations of misappropriation of ticket sales for the 1998 World Cup by the then minister of sports, Joseph Owona. During his tenure of office, Augustin Edjoa attempted to harmonise the calendars for elections in sports federations but was stopped in his bid by the same threat of FIFA suspension.