ACTUALITE |
28.04.2003
Fragile management ruins clubs
By Martin Etonge in Yaounde
The game of football immediately became a religion in Cameroon after the country hosted the 1972 Nations’ Cup finals. Within two decades Cameroon clubs dominated all events on the continent. Canon, Tonnerre Yaounde and Union Douala quickly followed on the footsteps of Oryx Douala in winning continental titles.
That was when the clubs also boasted strong managers who were rich and ready to make the necessarily financial sacrifices to notch victories.
The government policy promulgated by President Ahmadou Ahidjo also encouraged them. Teams involved in continental competitions were offered national team status and the government purse was opened to them.
Renowned club managers like Ngassa Happy of Union Douala and Fayez Olabi of PWD Kumba later emerged, leading their thousands of supporters like spiritual leaders. Unfortunately, since the clubs did not install strong management institutions, when the storm came, they shook like leaves in the wind.
Rascals and doubtful businessmen have led clubs to perform near miracles before dumping them when their fortune changed. Free Boys Bamenda had a spectacular rise in 1998, but were dead a year later.
The crisis killed some like Lion Yaounde. Those which survived like Tonnerre and PWD Bamenda have lived turbulent lives at one point on the other. With precarious bases PWD Bamenda and Dynamo Douala have moved in and out of the national division one league.
Observers are agreed that poor management of clubs has been the main cause of the unmaking of club football. For example, until recently, mighty Canon Yaounde did not have any permanent address.
That was the situation with many clubs. No post box, no telephone. So-called presidents had the clubs in their houses or suitcases as they live with the times.
Poor management has led some rich supporters to withdraw funding. After rich Bamilekes pulled out from the clubs in their areas of residence, we witnessed the growth of division one clubs in their province of origin, the West province.
It became fashionable for every village in that area to boast of having a club in the elite division. Today, six of the 16 first division clubs come from the West province.
Unfortunately, management has not improved and then teams are suffering from similar ills like the so-called poor clubs. Otherwise who can explain the problems of Stade Bandjoun, a club in the village of Cameroon’s billionaire Fotso Victor.
Sable Batie have relied on good money from sellers of used clothings. But the management structure has remained primitive.
Local elite in quest of popularity have destroyed clubs. Lawrence Tasha virtually hijacked Kumbo Strikers from the local population, turned it into a company, yet nothing improved. Kumbo Strikers are back into division two. It is almost a similar case with Essomba Eyenga and Tonnerre Yaounde.
In the image of our poor public service managers, club managers are no better. In spite of their titles and records in more than 50 years of existence, Canon Yaounde continue to train in Stade Malien. For those who know the pitch at GS Kumba town, the play ground of Stade Malien is worse than that. It has no grass and players train in mud and dust.
Club managers are accused of all kinds of crimes, ranging from age cheats to deserters, not forgetting embezzlement.
Truly, they may not have been helped by companies who should pick up some of the bills under their social expenditures if they can not own clubs themselves. Big companies like SONARA and the CDC have no clubs. SONARA had one in the 80’s. It was grounded because of greed, just like Prevoyance Yaounde.
While CDC money goes in an improper manner to Victoria United because the general manager of CDC, Henry Njalla Quan holds interest in the club. So the day he leaves the CDC, the coffers of OPOPO run dry. All the Elecsport clubs owned by the former SONEL are dead because of useless management.
Poor management has led to poor financing, dilapidated structures, where they existed, crowd trouble, age cheating, frustration of players and fans and several other troubles. Little wonder no Cameroon club has won any international title since 1981. If nothing is done to reverse the way clubs have been managed then Cameroon clubs might just have to wait for thy kingdom come to grab an international title.
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