Coronavirus: Cameroon footballers to get financial help

Cameroon’s football federation, Fecafoot, has promised to 40 million Fcfa - around $88,000 - to 1,040 players and coaches in the country’s domestic championships affected by the suspension of football due to coronavirus.

The funds will go to 44 clubs, with 18 from Cameroon’s top-tier league, 14 from the second division, and 12 from the women’s domestic championship.

Fecafoot suspended all football activities across the country on 17 March, but the financial consequence of this decision has taken a toll on clubs in the central African nation’s domestic championships.

“It’s a very difficult moment around the globe and football has been greatly impacted," Fecafoot president Seidou Mbombo Njoya told BBC Africa Sport.

"Footballers unfortunately are amongst those who are the hardest hit by this ailment. We think it’s crucial that we help them sail through this difficult period.

“We have decided to help the clubs and the players. These are people who earn a living solely from football and for many it’s hard being at home without any source of income. That’s why we think it’s only normal for us to come their aid.

“Our role is to protect the players and coaches. We’ve informed the various teams on the measures to curb the spread of the disease and now we have decided to pay out some money directly to those involved in the most transparent manner.

“Football is a uniting sport and in such a difficult period, there should be more solidarity.’’

Eight hundred players and coaches have been drawn from Cameroon top and second tier men’s leagues, while 240 players and coaches were retained from the women’s leagues.

In a press release, Fecafoot stated that 25 players and coaches will be retained per a men’s team, while 20 players per outfit from the women’s championship will benefit from the gesture.

However, this disparity in the number of players selected per team has sparked some discussion, with some accusing Fecafoot of undermining women’s football.

“We arrived at the figures after having discussed with the presidents of the men and women’s leagues,” Njoya added.

“With the women’s championship, it was discovered that due to limited resources, some teams start the championship with fewer players. Only a handful have a roster of about 18 players unlike in the men’s championship where some teams begin the season with as many as 30 players.

“It is the reality of our sport but we want to develop women’s football and give it a similar standing as the men’s league.

“Each team will receive $2000 and for us, this is the first step in a series of measures that are aimed at helping the players of the domestic championship during this difficult period,” he says.

“We also have plans of extending this to the amateur championships but we want to do something that will have a very significant impact in the lives of the players.”

A project to distribute food, sanitisers, protective face masks and other items to footballers across the country is also on the cards, but there are growing concerns the coronavirus pandemic could herald an economic depression that will greatly affect the sport in Cameroon.

“Fifa and Caf have been assisting us but we need more means. We have limited resources at the moment and we feel we may be in for a greater challenge in the months ahead.

“There are so many uncertainties in this dramatic situation and we are thinking about different scenarios but most of our sponsors are affected.

“Our major partners are all suffering as a fallout of this pandemic and even though we know things may be hard for our sport, we want to stay positive and hope there can be a ray of hope in this” Njoya concluded.

Part of the fallout of the pandemic has been the indefinite postponement of the African Nations Championships, also known as CHAN, which was due to be held in Cameroon this April.

"It is too early to determine the date of the next edition of the CHAN, whether in 2020 or 2021 - the only thing that seems clear, is that the tournament will not be held in Cameroon in June and July, due to climatic conditions,” CAF President Ahmad Ahmad, told French newspaper Le Monde.