Indomitable Lions, reflection of gov't on drips.

Football which used to be unquestionably, a paramount unifier in Cameroon, soothing rising nerves when infrastructure like electricity, water, health, roads are falling in standards, has now been deflected.

The Indomitable Lions, leading African participation in the world cup and five times African champions, will be conspicuously absent at next year's World Cup.

Bookmakers before the start of the elimination round saw their participation a foregone conclusion given the underdogs like Cape  Verde, Angola, Libya, Eswatini and Mauritius that were in its group.

The Lions only walked lamely to end on the second spot and in a lackluster performance last week it was limited by DR Congo which in FIFA's ranking was 20 spots below Cameroon.

Some cynics in the media likened the result to the disputed presidential election with one of them writing on social media that "it will be punishable to announce the [match] result as only the Constitutional Council has the legitimacy to do so".

It is not just a satire but a mockery of the governing system in the country that is limping as illustrated by poor infrastructure, rising unemployment and pervasive corruption.

The virus has spread into FECAFOOT, which under the presidency of Samuel Eto'o Fils, and supervision of Prof Narcisse Mouelle Kombi Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, MINSEP, has been like Pandora's Box that disgorges nothing but ill omen.

The nation has watched soccer destructive diatribe between MINSEP and FECAFOOT, in the choice of a coach and assistants, in dismissal of coaches, in selection of equipment suppliers and in illegal abrogation of contracts with coaches and equipment suppliers costing the taxpayers a fortune.

In a normal system, both the FECAFOOT president and MINSEP that accompanies it would have resigned in honour to free soccer from the egoism that has taken the Indomitable Lions, Female and Junior squads to the nadir of defeats.

Like the disputed October 12 presidential election which just ended in violence, that of FECAFOOT is at the corner and it would appear the Minister of Territorial Administration, MINAT, is going to play the role of the constitutional council.

Ahead of a planned November 29 FECAFOOT election in which incumbent President, Samuel Eto’o Fils, is likely to run unopposed, MINSEP was invited to send a representative.

Instead, as this daily reported yesterday, MINSEP seized the MINAT boss, Minister Atanga Nji: “I have the honour to request your...competent services, throughout the national territory, to ban all constituent and/or elective assemblies in the field of football, including the one planned by FECAFOOT for 29 November 2025 in Mbankomo”.

The MINSEP gave the reasons for requesting the proscription as violation of various relevant texts prescribed for "an inclusive, consensual and peaceful framework by the President of FECAFOOT who has continued with the electoral process".

The Sports Ministry alerted that “...several players are threatening to disrupt the aforementioned meeting...the multiple protests and parallel actions, against a backdrop of the crisis, listed above, threaten public order in general and sporting public order in particular".

He added that: "The protective measure of ban requested thus contributes to the maintenance and preservation of peace and social cohesion, in accordance with the laws and regulations of the Republic. It in no way calls into question the rules of football's governing bodies, which oblige Member Associations to respect the laws of the States and to observe the principles of non-discrimination, equal opportunities, neutrality, transparency and openness in electoral processes”.

In the lengthy letter, the Sports ministry said in the sensitive post-electoral context in which the country finds itself, and where President Biya has just urged Cameroonians to work for unity, togetherness and peace, football should be more a factor of national cohesion and not a vector of division between Cameroonians.

“We therefore suggest that a great deal of attention be paid to dealing with the critical situation underway at FECAFOOT, a situation whose gravity is obvious and worrying,” he concluded.

Given the MINSEP reading of the situation, there isn't the need to roll a crystal ball to understand the prey unfolding especially at times the disputed presidential election has put the country in a state of uncertainty.

The clash between FECAFOOT and MINSEP aggravates the national political uncertainty and for another disputed national election in soccer can only widen the chasm of division the country is groping to amend.

MINAT is, however, noted for proscribing meetings including press conferences suspected of having any iota of criticism against the government that could "endanger public peace and order".

For the sake of national unity, peace and "respect of republican institutions", a phrase MINAT loves to recite, The Guardian Post is on the same page with the Sports Ministry.

This is a time when majority of Cameroonians are floundering to combat ghosts and perilous political uncertainties and illegality should not be made a victory over legitimacy.

Soccer, the symbol of national unity and cohesion has under the current FECAFOOT management been having a free fall. 

Even if the plunge is a reflection of a government which President Biya has said needs reforms, the elections of FECAFOOT should not invite the satirical intervention of the Constitutional Council, or on a serious note, that of FIFA with another FIFA normalisation management committee. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3627 of Monday November 17, 2025