By Angu Lesley.
Football Writer, kick442.com, Cameroon.
Hat off to the over 1200 young men who’ve opted to ply their trade in Cameroon’s pinnacle and second tier football championships.
Being a footballer in Cameroon’s domestic championships is everything but prestigious.
Opting for football as a profession in Cameroon is such a daunting task. Footballers who opt to spend their entire career back home will hardly garner the respect and fortunes their peers within some of Africa’s best leagues and abroad make.
Little wonder then that Cameroonian footballers will hop on the least opportunity to move to nearby countries even if it means competing in precarious conditions.
The situation of a typical footballer in Cameroon:
There are a number of despicable experiences Cameroon-based footballers go through.
The best part of becoming a member of a football club in Cameroon is usually the period that precedes the player putting pen to paper. Most club presidents present fascinating projects, lure the players with promises of huge wages and exciting bonuses. But once the player signs on the dotted lines, the enchanting promises make way for pariah treatment.
During Contract:
Before looking at the situation of Cameroonian players after the contract is signed, it is important to remark that their contracts are supposed to be signed in three copies.
The first copy is for the club, while the player or his entourage keeps another and the last copy is sent to the national football federation.
Unfortunately, this reporter has noticed that, some players either intentionally or out of ignorance do not take stock of the terms of their contracts talk-less of keeping a copy of the contracts.[The beginning of trouble]
Within the period of their contracts, as it is the case more often than not these players become a tool in the hands of their clubs.
The players are given very limited health care [Most League one clubs do not have a well equipped medical staff], clubs don’t pay bonuses for the number of games played in a season.
Players nursing injuries are fielded on instructions of top management.
Players rarely enjoy the benefits of their insurance cover mainly because claims are never made or players rarely get indemnity.
At the beginning of the 2019-2020 football season, the Cameroon Transitional Technical Committee managing the top flight and second tier football championships agreed to pay a portion of the salaries of 18 players in each league one club.
But how does a player without a copy of his contract claim he is being owed by an institution keen on exploiting his ignorance??
It is a very uncomfortable situation as most players-clubs relationships in Cameroon except for a few end after a cold war.
Former Panthère of Nde star man Stanley Echabe and two others were dropped unceremoniously by the club in the second week of January because they requested for unpaid salaries and bonuses, zonefoot.com reported.
Just like these, Che Malone was shown the exit door by Continental FA last season after demanding for his unpaid dues.
Besides the clubs unwillingness to meet up with their financial obligations, some subject their players to very difficult pre-match conditions and refuse to release those who ask to leave.
Earlier this players of Ngaoundere FC slept in a hall ahead of their game against Renaissance FC of Ngoumou subsequently losing the game and surprisingly attracting the wrath of their fans.
In some situations the lead trainers and the players will have to shoulder the blame, with the coach acting as the fitness trainer, video analyst and statistician.
The situation has left many pondering as to how it’s possible for an entire club to be run by just one coach??
-They go without salaries for many months [current situation of Unisport of Bafang, Dragon Yaounde, Ngaoundere FC and many others have once had such reports].
A Few days ago, Union Sportive of Douala flooded messages on social media celebrating their management’s move to pay long overdue bonuses to players. It sounds funny but that’s the reality. Paying the players in Cameroon is an event.
But in this charade, Cotonsport of Garoua, OFTA of Kribi and Stade Renard of Melong are notableexceptions.
-Most clubs don’t have a fixed date of paying players.
-Most clubs pay without pay slips. This means many players don’t keep proves of receiving their pay, mind you this is only for the few clubs that attempt to pay for the few months they pay.
-In most cases, players on contract don’t get their benefits after an injury. Not as if it is written in his contract. Some clubs automatically end their relationship with their players after they get injured.
-Players are rarely allowed to switch clubs during their contract period, no matter the efforts made by the players entourage, with some of the clubs opting to retain the player even if he is unhappy.
The players are subject to the above situation but expected to deliver.
The club presidents very often are ruthless persons who wouldn’t settle for anything less than a win. When it comes to demanding their benefits from FECAFOOT and other related bodies they always emerge as winners showing the strength of their Syndicate[SYCEC] .
This week, there was a stand-off as clubs announced they will boycott the championships should related bodies fail to meet certain financial obligations with the clubs. Some insisted they need money pay their players…. if only players had a Syndicate as powerful as SYCEC.
The presidents have eventually gotten their wish as multiple sources announced on Friday that hundreds of millions have been disbursed for the clubs and hours later they confirmed they will return to the field next week and fixtures released by the Transitional Technical Committee.
But what about the players and coaches in clubs who do not pay and expect the players and coaches to deliver the results ?
If Cameroon football is not rewarding as the club officials say, why are they sticking to a business which is said to be a loss guaranteeing business??
The presidents asked for their wish and got it. Part of the money they have received this season has been for payments of players salaries but a vast majority of these players and coaches are complaining about unpaid salaries. Why can’t this players and coaches stage a collective action to have their salaries paid??
It is on the players and their related Syndicates to take actions for the interests of the players and coaches else, they will remain “fools amongst fools”.
It is on FECAFOOT and other related bodies to change their strategy to ensure that the approximately $150 and $75 expected to be paid as salary to players of league one and two clubs respectively gets to the players.
Agreement is agreement, FECAFOOT and ministry agrees to support clubs, and the clubs agreed to pay their players, all parties need to meet their part of the bargain for the good of the beautiful game in this republic.
You May also like this about Patrick Mboma:
https://www.kick442.com/🇨🇲-patrick-mboma-the-short-magical-career-of-a-lion/
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