To ensure career dev’t: Orange Cameroun, ANAFOOT hand 30 young talents to elite clubs.

The young talents were drafted during a rich and colourful ceremony in Yaounde on Saturday August 26. The ceremony was used to share the 30 young footballers among nine football clubs. The clubs, officials said, have been working with ANAFOOT before the current move supported by Orange Cameroun.

Orange Cameroun committed to develop Cameroon football

Speaking at the event, the representative of the Director General of Orange Cameroun, Robert Ekotto, saluted the initiative. Ekotto enjoined ANAFOOT to continue the good work it has been doing to raise the next breed of football stars.

“Orange is a major partner in Cameroonian football and as we said, it leaves from the base to the summit. At the digitalisation level, in the days ahead, we will accompany ANAFOOT in selection tours during which payment will be done via Orange Money,” Ekotto said.

The representative of Orange Cameroun DG added that: “For us, it is a matter of giving out the means for these youth to start unveiling their talents and assisting them live their dreams”.

Orange Cameroun, Ekotto reiterated, is committed to contribute to the development of football in Cameroon.

“It is an honour for Orange Cameroun to continue to work for the betterment and the construction of football in Cameroon. This is an adventure that began over two decades ago and we will continue to do against all odds,” he said. 

Time for talents to show their skills

Speaking to the press after the draft ceremony, the Director General of ANAFOOT, Carl Enow Ngachu, said the institution has since creation grown to maturity.

Enow said they began selecting talents as young as 10 and 11 years of age. Few years down the road, he said the talents have been equipped to show the world what they are made of.

“It is not a surprise that we have talents in almost all national teams, girls like boys and this is a great satisfaction to us despite the fact that we need to work harder,” he said.

He went on to note that, they will soon start working on the profile of the young footballers to meet the demands of the market.

Citing the example of football market in Europe, the ANAFOOT boss, noted that “they have some criteria they are looking for. As such, we intend to start working on these aspects such that when buyers from Europe or Japan come for our talents we are able to give them what they want”.

Time to showcase our talents

The Director General also said the partnership with Orange Cameroun is “a proof that ANAFOOT has been working and it is time for us to showcase what our children can do and we continue to pray that they succeed in their carriers”.

ANAFOOT, Enow boasted, is a place to be. He urged those who have the privilege to the trained at the academy to continue to uphold the standards.

He urged the young footballers to make use of the new era that has opened in their carriers.  The players, he said have been sent to Elite One and Two clubs. 

Though only 30 out of 45 were part of the deal with Orange Cameroun, the ANAFOOT boss said in the days ahead, a complete list of players sent to clubs will be out.

ANAFOOT, Orange Cameroun insist on combining talent with education

The ANAFOOT boss said the institution has been partnering with Orange Cameroun for two years and still counting. He said they are still at an implementation phase.

The young players, he said, are given out to the various clubs. Enow said this has been done in respect of the rules and regulations governing the academy. 

“Before we send them out, we inform the clubs of their priority which is education of the young. We insist they are given the opportunity to continue with school and we prepare conventions that will help not only the club win, but the young talents as well,” he explained. 

Minister says move to develop Cameroon football

The representative of the Minister of Sports and Physical Education at the event, Ngana Enguene Emery Anselme, said the move is in the interest of developing Cameroon football.

Ngana charged the talents to do their best in the various clubs where they have been sent. 

“I am delighted because we all saw, the structure that was created by the Head of State in 2014, is sending into the market the necessary products. We think that with such dynamism, football in Cameroon will have better and prosperous days ahead. We believe that ANAFOOT will definitely continue to meet up to the task ahead for the betterment of our football,” he said. 

The minister’s representative wished the talents luck in their careers and urged them to continue to shine the flags of ANAFOOT and Cameroon in general.

Lucien Mettomo, Head of Mission for Youth Football at the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, said the deal between Orange Cameroun and FECAFOOT, falls in line with the vision of Samuel Eto’o Fils.

Mettomo also saluted ANAFOOT for the work done. The dynamic team at the level of ANAFOOT, Mettomo, a former Indomitable Lions player, also said, is doing a commendable job. 

He also thanked the Enow-led team at ANAFOOT for ensuring follow-up of their talents. FECAFOOT, Mettomo disclosed, is also following up the young players.

Beneficiary football clubs

The 30 young players were shared to elite clubs in the Centre, West, South West and East regions. Beneficiary clubs included: Stade Rennais FC which received five players; Stade de Bertoua got four players; Stade FC de Batie took two players; Renaissance de Ngoumou took three players; Fauv Azur FC was handed one player; Force Armees et Police, FAP, took three players; APEJES de Mfou FC got four of the young talents while Aigle Royal de la Menoua was handed one player. 

Meanwhile, Isle of Hope Sports Academy, ISOHSA, of Limbe, South West Region received seven of the young players.