Cameroon: row over Fourteen, the new kit supplier for the Indomitable Lions

In Cameroon, the football federation (Fécafoot) has announced it is about to sign a kit supply deal with the Swiss brand Fourteen. The choice has provoked a fierce backlash among the national public. Supporters, observers and former officials of Cameroonian football's governing body have cried scandal, denouncing a decision that, in their view, tarnishes the image of the Indomitable Lions.

A little-known brand raises questions

Fourteen, which describes itself as a Swiss sportswear company, currently kits a handful of modest clubs such as Bendel FC (Benin), Edo Queen FC (Nigeria) and the Swiss national basketball teams. Far from the prestige of historic brands such as Puma or Le Coq Sportif, the supplier remains unknown to the wider public and raises questions over its ability to dress a team as iconic as Cameroon, five-time African champions and Olympic champions once.

On social media, disillusioned reactions are flooding in. "What have we done to God to deserve this? " lamented one web user, while another joked: "With Fourteen, it is no longer about restoring Cameroonian football's greatness, but its ugliness. The players should sign a petition so they don't have to wear this brand".

A federation under fire

The announcement of this partnership comes amid an already tense climate around Fécafoot's running of the game. For many, the choice reflects a lack of vision and ambition from the federation's president, Samuel Eto'o, for Cameroonian football. "It would have been better to give a local supplier the chance, even if it doesn't have much to offer us. Among the nations qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon has the worst kit supplier. It's a disgrace for a nation like ours", grumbled another supporter on Facebook.

Parfait Nicolas Siki, Fécafoot's former general secretary, makes no secret of his disappointment: "The announcement of the forthcoming signing of a kit supply contract between Fécafoot and the company Fourteen confirms the bankruptcy of a management, the shipwreck of a vision, the symbolic fall of an icon who nonetheless arrived as a messiah, the saviour of football". He also says: "what is worrying is this Fécfaoot-Titanic that has been heading straight for the iceberg for three years, intoxicated by the frenzied cheers and hallelujahs of fanatics, which drown out the warning cries trying to steer it away from the abyss".

One All Sport, a failure still fresh in the memory

In Yaoundé, Fécafoot is trying to justify its choice. In a statement, it insists that "Fourteen was selected by Fécafoot's Emergency Committee on the recommendation of the Federation's Internal Procurement Commission, following a professional and objective process". It also welcomes "the quality of the contractual commitments and the future partnership with the Fourteen brand, whose credibility and track record are remarkable". But these statements struggle to convince the sceptics. Fécafoot had already presented its previous supplier, One All Sport, as having "the most lucrative contract in the history of Cameroonian football" in August 2022, before terminating it a year early, on 6 August 2024, for failures to meet contractual commitments.

Beyond the controversy, the lingering question is what real impact this future partnership will have on the performances and image of Cameroonian football. If Fécafoot is taking a bold gamble, doubts persist over Fourteen's ability to meet the expectations of such a demanding football nation. For now, the split appears complete between the federation and a section of supporters, who see this decision as one more step in the decline of an institution once renowned for its prestige.