League's Decision on Clubs' Conversion to Companies Awaited

The decision of the president of the Professional League is highly awaited after the association of Elite club presidents, ACCEC, wrote to him requesting a further period of grace before complying with the decision obliging clubs to be transformed to companies.

The issue has been the bone of contention between the Elite One and Elite Two club presidents and the President of the Professional League, leading the president of the League, General Pierre Semengue to suspend the beginning of the new football season. After a tripartite meeting bringing together the club presidents, League officials and Fecafoot, the clubs were given up to April 2nd to comply with the new dispensation. It was decided that clubs that fail to comply by the April 2 deadline, were to be replaced by clubs from the lower leagues according to their rankings.

However, as of the April 2nd deadline, there are conflicting figures as to the number of clubs which have complied with the measure. While the Professional League says about ten clubs have so far been transformed to companies, the association of clubs president say only four clubs have complied namely, Njalla Quan, Yong Sports Academy, Apejes of Mfou and Achille FC. According to the president of ACCEC, Onambele Zibi, transforming clubs to companies demand a lot of money and clubs don't have money. "The little money they have is to pay players. We are not refusing to comply but it should not become a sort of harassment," he said. The clubs presidents therefore asked to be given up to the end of the season to comply.

Though there was no effrontery as before, pundits say the demand of the club presidents is a gimmick to enable them gain time and wait for the end of the mandate of General Pierre Semengue at the helm of the league to expire in July. Contacted on the issue, the president of the Professional League, said he is working on an official communiqué which will be made public imminently. However, it is hoped General Semengue will heed to the call of the club presidents in that matches for the 7th day of play of the MTN elite One and 8th day of play of MTN Elite Two, have been scheduled for next weekend. This implicitly means no club will be dropped out or replaced.