The president of Yong Sport Academy (YOSA) of Bamenda, Emma Mimba has expressed concern over an unexplained delay in disbursement of subventions to elite football clubs in the country by the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT).
Speaking to online media platform, Toridey on the current situation of his club that has been relegated to the second tier league and the FA, Mimba hinted they are going to appeal the general forfeiture decision handed to the club, which relegates them to the inferior league.
He bemoaned that FECAFOOT president, Samuel Eto’o Fils has not delivered on his financial promises made to football clubs in the country.
In his Sunday, June 8 outing, the YOSA president said his club met all the requirements to benefit from the subventions and Eto’o had promised on May 23, 2025 to wire the FCFA 48 million (he had promised to clubs in the top division) to the Bamenda-based team the following day.
However, 15 days [and counting], Mimba revealed that the money has not yet reached his club.
According to his narrative, Eto’o’s pledge to improve the financial health of football clubs in the country when he became FECAFOOT president was a welcome relief to football stakeholders.
“Before [Eto’o took the reins of the FA], each team was given FCFA 30 million as subvention, or less. He [Eto’o] came and said no, the Federation will give each team FCFA 48 million each season, and each player has to be receiving a minimum monthly salary of FCFA 200,000, and he would be the guarantor,” Mimba explained.
This move the YOSA president alleged was because some club presidents were receiving the subventions but were not paying their players appropriately.
As a solution, YOSA boss had suggested the FA could pay the money directly to his players—an idea which the FA president bought.
“He [Eto’o] said he would like to speak with my captain. He then spoke with Kongnyuy Jude on phone for more than an hour, asking him how many salaries they had received. Kongnyuy Jude said three,” Mimba continued.
Samuel Eto’o did not end there, per the YOSA president’s accounts. He went further to find out from Jude’s teammates how much they had received. Thereafter, their names were collected and forwarded to the FA president.
After submitting the data, Mimba claimed to have been notified by the FECAFOOT president that “all is good, I will pay you tomorrow [May 24]”. Since then, YOSA is still to receive a bank alert from FECAFOOT.
Although, the YOSA expressed optimism about FECAFOOT making payment someday, he said they are however confused at the moment.
“So we trust we are going to receive the money, but what is happening? We are in an impasse. We don’t know what happened between that day the 23rd of May when I received the message that I would receive the money the next day till now,” Mimba stated.
Some football observers in the country have praised the YOSA president whose team has been relegated to the second tier after a disastrous season, for speaking up. But others question his timing.
Other football clubs in the country had previously raised similar concerns including Bamboutos FC of Mbouda and Djiko FC of Bandjoun.
FECAFOOT had not commented on the seemingly aggrieved club president’s outing but Eto’o has repeatedly maintained that no dime from the federation will be given to any club that does not provide their players’ payslips.
