Elite Championships: FECAFOOT suspends eight referees.

The body announced the suspensions in a release signed by its president, Stephane Foko Kamga on Thursday, March 30. 

The suspended match officials are accused of unprofessional behaviour during games they handled in the ongoing championship.

“The referees and assistants whose names follow; Esumba Edwin, Akimbon Jason, Djibrila Hamadou, Rex Bahadzen, Abadoma Aurelien, Njigi Marius, Ada Nda Didme and Elouti Arthur are suspended from the Elite One and Two championships until the end of this sports season for breach in the exercise of their functions …” a section of the statement read. 

The committee went on to cite some of the matches these officials took charge of, which ended up with protests.

The sanctions are on referees who officiated the Elite One fixture pitting Gazelle of Garoua against AS Fortuna in Yaounde as well as three Elite Two fixtures, among them Leopard Douala versus Racing Bafoussam, Aigle Moungo versus Foncha Street of Bamenda and Victoria United against FAP Yaounde. 

Multiple accusations 

Three of the referees, Njigi Marius, Ada Nda Didme and Elouti Arthur were axed for wrongdoings in the game between Victoria United FC and FAP of Yaounde, played in Limbe on Wednesday, March 15. 

Victoria United who currently tops the Elite Two rankings drew1-1 with FAP. 

However, the Limbe-based club accused the Njigi Marius-led trio in charge of the game of denying them two clear penalties and a red card against FAP. They were found guilty and punished.

Elsewhere, Central referee, Akimbon Jason and two assistants Djibrila Hamadou, Rex Bahadzen who were in charge of the Leopard Douala versus Racing Bafoussam game on match day 20 of the MTN Elite Two were also found guilty of wrongdoing. 

The game finished 1-0 in favour of Leopard but the West Region club accused the referees refusing them a goal which would have helped them secure a point in the fixture.

The officials denied Racing a second-half equaliser in the match played at the Annex II of the Japoma Stadium in Douala on March 29, 2023. 

A video displayed by Racing on their social media handles, shows the unnamed Racing forward not being in an illicit position before running past an onrushing Leopard of Douala defender to power in what could have been a decisive equaliser. 

Also, the Elite Two game between Aigle Moungo and Foncha Street FC of Bamenda in Douala on March 23, 2023 came under the spyglass of the referees’ committee.

The Bamenda-based club lost the fixture by 3-0 but reports suggests suspicious refereeing decisions the favoured Aigle against the visiting team.

The referees in charge of the game were thus sanctioned.

In the Elite One, assistant referee, Edwin Esumba and his colleagues are faulted for unprofessionally handling the game that pitted AS Fortuna of Mfou and Gazelle FA of Garoua at the Military Stadium in Yaounde on Thursday March 29, 2023. 

Gazelle FA which is pushing for a historic qualification to the playoff phase of the Elite One championship, outclassed Fortuna 2-1.

The win helped the Garoua club to move up to the second spot in Group B of the championship. 

However, controversies popped up on Gazelle’s second goal which is said to have been scored from an off-side position. 

A video from the game suggests the Gazelle attacker who netted the decisive goal in an irregular position before receiving the assist at the edge of Fortuna’s penalty area. 

The validation of the goal led to the game being halted for close to 10 minutes due to protests from the home team. 

This is the second time the first assistant referee for the game, Ediwn Esumba is being slammed a suspension in barely nine months.

In June last year, he was banned alongside three other referees, Eyemene Toukene, Mbida Awono, and Bigoul Metoul for poorly handling the Elite One game between Astres of Douala and South regional team, Colombe. 

Suspensions but with what outcomes 

Overall, this is the second time referees are being suspended from handling Elite championship games in the space of five weeks.

On Thursday February 23, the referee’s committee suspended five referees, Souleymanou Bah, Biel Kolondo, Talla Fokam and Kamga Tiemo for multiple wrongdoings. 

While the decision to suspend the referees who indulge in the unscrupulous behaviours, is being applauded, some analyst say that isn’t enough because the clubs which suffer from such actions of referees end up paying heavy price.

To this end, clubs, fans and supporters are thus demanding adjustments, such that the suspensions should include fines.

They are also of the opinion that such matches where referees are found guilty of wrongdoing should be replayed in order that the right score is obtained on the field.