It is not the FECAFOOT that gives bonuses - Joseph Owona

The Chairman of the Standards Committee of Fécafoot breaks silence after criticisms were raised to denounce the treatment meted out to the national women's football team.

The chairman of the Standards Committee of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Joseph Owona spoke on the subject in an interview with the press in Namibia.

When he was questioned why the senior women's football team has not received bonuses during for the 9th African Cup of Nations competition, the eminent lawyer replied that it is not for the association he heads to find the money.

"I think the words are clear. It is not the Fécafoot that gives bonuses. Fécafoot has also participated in the preparation. Fécafoot gives bonuses that are given to us by the government," he said, adding that "the bonuses will be paid."

Fécafoot had rewarded the Lionesses for their qualification to the Africa Cup that took place in Namibia. The whole team (including supervisors) had received months ago a modest sum of 5 million CFA francs for their qualification.

The women's national team then had to go to the 2014 Can Namibia with the players knowing what they would receive as an incentive for participation, win or draw. Cameroonian sports authorities remained silent on the subject until the end of the tournament.

They even had a businessman, Dieudonné Bougne, the CEO of the oil company Bocom announcing before the final played on October 25, an offering of 12 million to the Lionesses. He said it was to salute the players who "have demonstrated patriotism in defending the honor of Cameroon without first requiring payment of bonuses." An act which, says the generous donor, "is an act of patriotism to be emulated by all the other sports."