ACTUALITE |
01.03.2004
Division one clubs determined to use Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium
Martin Etonge
Officials of all 18 division one clubs in Cameroon have told Fecafoot executive bureau that they will not accept the decision of youth and sports minister, preventing them from using the Yaounde Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium.
After dislocating all four Yaounde clubs for a better part of last
year, youth and sports minister, Bidoung Mpkatt has decided that no elite football matches will hold in the only modern stadium in Yaounde. Since the construction of the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium in 1972, the venue has been home to Yaounde clubs.
Consequently, the clubs – Canon, Tonnerre, Cintra and Renaissance,
supported by the others are bent on getting the minister change his
decision, which for many takes Cameroon football some years back. This
was virtually the most debated issue in a meeting between club
presidents and Fecafoot’s executive bureau in Douala.
The meeting was the traditional one that precedes every new season.
Besides presenting 17 recommendations Fecafoot, the clubs insisted on
stopping the championship if they could not use the Ahmadou Ahidjo
stadium. It took a lot of tact from president Mohammed Iya to convince
the club presidents not to immediately begin a strike action.
" Last year the minister pushed us out of Yaounde because he wanted to
repair the stadium. But after repairing the stadium he wants to chase
us away from our base , " lamented Antoine Esomba Eyenga, president of the association of division one clubs and Tonnerre Yaounde.
As the clubs wait for the minister to revoke the decision, They made
several complains to Fecafoot, but praised the executive bureau for
generally improving on the quality of services and organisation of
football in Cameroon.
The 17 recommendations touched on increase subsidies for clubs, the
re-negotiation of the financial convention between Fecafoot and the
minister of sports to the advantage of all clubs in Cameroon and the
decoration of club officials by the state.
Amongst other recommendations, the clubs called on Fecafoot to fight
against doping, improve on services at the headquarters, push
government to construct small capacity stadiums in big towns, take over total organisation of international games holding in Yaounde and fight
seriously against corruption.
For president Iya, most of the recommendations were already finding an
answer. He promised that all money owned clubs will be paid. He
reiterated his promise to use the budget excesses of last year to
satisfy the demands of clubs. " Unfortunately, our account in Paris is
still frozen. Once we get through that problem, we’ll execute our
promise ", president Iya said.
For this year, Fecafoot subsidies to clubs has doubled thanks to
sponsorship money from mobile telephone giants MTN, while clubs will
also get four sets of kits from MTN.
The season started on Saturday with a game between new comers KSA
Douala and defending title holders, Coton Sport garoua. Both clubs retired with a point each after a goalless draw.
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