Football - Cameroon: Colombe du Sud say the club has never received prize money in the last four seasons

Cameroonian football is again shaken by a case with financial implications that directly hinges on the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot) led by Samuel Eto'o. This time, the denunciation comes neither from a relegable club nor from a marginal actor of the championship, but from the president of the Board of Directors of Colombe du Dja et Lobo, reigning champion of Cameroon and recent winner of the country’s Super Cup.

During the club’s General Assembly held last weekend, Dr. Doko Edjiane publicly lifted the veil on a series of unpaid money that the club claims to have not received for several seasons. A rare, serious, and above all fraught with consequences in an environment where clubs who dare to criticize federal governance have often paid a high price. 

" For several years, we have been operating thanks to our elites and thanks to our supporters. We have taken action, we have filed petitions. Do not believe that we are complicit in something. No! We have done our work,"

 hammered the President.

Premiums due, but unpaid
The manager then details a list of unpaid amounts that, cumulatively, create a considerable financial gap.

 “We have the 2025 Cameroon Super Cup trophy that has not been paid, in the order of 50 million CFA francs. We have the winner’s trophy of the 2025 Cameroon championship which has not also been paid, 50 million CFA francs. The 2024 Cameroon Cup trophy. The 50 million CFA francs for participation in the African Champions League have not been paid. State subsidies have not been collected for four seasons.”

In total, nearly 200 million CFA francs (or 304,898 euros) would be missing from the coffers of a club that claims to be in good standing in terms of sports and administration. The club met the requirements, notably the presentation of proof of payment of the salaries of the players, supervisors and others. A situation that casts serious discredit on the financial credibility of the Cameroonian championship and, by ricochet, on the governance of  Fecafoot.

Contacted by Sport News Africa, a club executive who requested anonymity, confirms the existence of undertakings with the federation, even if they seem to have hit a wall.

 "Letters have been sent... We are waiting for a possible response from the federation," 

he confides.

Paradoxically, these unpaid debts have not yet paralyzed the functioning of the club. 

«The situation has no impact on us for the moment, since the club operates with money contributed by the elite of the Region and the supporters, not to mention the partners and stadium revenues. But it must be said, it’s difficult. The Fécafoot must respect its commitments towards the clubs,"

 he insists. A model of resourcefulness that illustrates the extreme economic fragility of Cameroonian clubs, including the most successful ones.

Silence à la Fécafoot
If for the moment, no authorized source has agreed to speak on this umpteenth scandal at  Fécafoot, the public release of the PCA from Colombe is not without risk. In the recent past, several clubs having openly denounced the management of the Federation and its president claimed to have suffered reprisals, administrative or sporting. The cases of Feutcheu FC, Bamboutos de Mbouda or even Unisport du Haut-Nkam are still in everyone’s memories. 

This new episode comes in addition to a long series of tensions between Fécafoot and its clubs since the arrival of Samuel Eto'o at the head of the body. It especially reinforces a central question: how can a championship that is already struggling to attract sponsors, pay its referees and structure its competitions survive when even the promised bonuses to champions are not honored? Better still, where does the money for Cameroonian football go?