By Angu Lesley Ngwa Akonwi
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Christmas is approaching Cameroon, but the mood in many footballing households is far from festive. Hundreds of players, coaches and referees in the MTN Elite One and MTN Elite Two championships have gone more than seven months without competitive action or income. The 2023–24 season ended on 9 June for Elite One and 7 July for Elite Two, and since then the domestic game has been frozen in a silence that continues to deepen anxieties among those who depend solely on football for their livelihood.
This long pause began quietly but has developed into a crisis with no clear direction. Despite setting an October 4 registration deadline for clubs, football authorities have yet to announce a start date for the new season. Financial instability, administrative delays, stadium clearance issues, tensions between FECAFOOT and the Transitional Technical Football Committee, and the looming Africa Cup of Nations have all been cited as contributing factors. Yet one explanation has stood out for its unusual nature: the suggestion from Faustin Blaise Mbida, the official managing the professional league, that the championship cannot resume because the Cameroon Cup final has not yet been played.
In football circles across the country, this justification has been met with disbelief. Historically, the domestic league has never depended on the Cup of Cameroon final to resume. In fact, the 2018–2019 season kicked off months before the Cup final of the previous year was even scheduled, and similar situations occurred under multiple administrations. Cameroon’s football calendar has often run out of sequence, with cup competitions being played long after league seasons had begun or even after the national team had completed international engagements. That pattern makes the current stance difficult to understand for clubs, players and supporters who see it as an avoidable delay rather than a legitimate obstacle.
For footballers, the consequences are severe. Many have not received salaries since May or June, and with no match bonuses or training allowances, families are sliding deeper into hardship. Some players have taken up motorcycle taxi riding, small businesses or construction work just to feed their children. One midfielder in the Littoral region says he avoids going home early because his children still expect the usual December celebrations. A goalkeeper from the West region revealed that his wife’s fruit stall now sustains the family, while he occasionally misses training sessions because he cannot afford transport. Some players, after exhausting the little cash earned from holiday championships, have even resorted to shoemending. Apart from Cotonsport, Colombe and Stade Renard, most clubs in Cameroon do not provide financial support to players during holidays, leaving them particularly exposed during this prolonged break.
Coaches face the same uncertainty. Without income since the end of last season, many are unable to meet personal obligations. Some have begun offering private fitness coaching, others have taken small side jobs while trying to maintain their squads’ morale. Training sessions occur in what one coach described as “blindfolded preparation,” as they cannot develop match strategies or periodisation plans without a competition calendar. For several coaches across Elite One and Elite Two, football is their only profession, and the prolonged inactivity threatens to push them out of the game altogether.
Referees are enduring equally tough conditions. Earlier this year, the Cameroon referees’ association staged a nationwide strike over unpaid dues, signalling deeper issues in the football economy. With no matches taking place, referees have no income at all, and many are now engaged in odd jobs simply to survive. Years of training and progression through the ranks now feel wasted as they watch a silent league deprive them of both practice and livelihood.
Clubs are trying to keep their structures alive but struggle with empty budgets. Training continues in some centres, but without fixtures, it serves mostly to maintain hope rather than prepare for competition. Administrative staff in several clubs have gone months with reduced or no pay. Youth academies lack match activity, threatening the development of future talent. Sponsors, uncertain of when games will resume, have withdrawn or reduced funding. Stadiums remain locked and community businesses around match venues have collapsed.
Fans, once passionate about weekend fixtures, are now disconnected from the local game. Many have shifted their attention to European leagues or other African competitions that provide consistent calendars. The absence of domestic football has slowly eroded the cultural rhythm that once made match days central to social life in many towns.
The only visible priority for the FA now is the reelection of its current executive led by Samuel Eto’o on November 29. Some observers say the league may resume after the vote, but even a restart in December will be immediately disrupted by the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on December 21 and runs until January 18. The longer the pause continues, the more Cameroon risks losing the competitive and commercial value of its domestic championships.
Behind the structural issues are human stories of loss and frustration. Footballers want to work. Coaches want to train. Referees want to officiate. All are asking for the same thing: a return to normalcy and dignity. As one coach expressed, “We are not asking for millions. We are asking for the league to do what it is supposed to do—start.”
This Christmas, however, that wish remains distant. Instead of celebrating, many footballing families will endure another month of uncertainty, unpaid bills and fading hope. Until the leagues resume, the silence will continue to shape the lives of the people who keep the domestic game alive.
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