By Oni Ladonette Ondesa
Journalist,kick442.com-Cameroon
Cameroon’s most prestigious individual football award just became significantly more attractive. The male winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or will receive a brand new SUV from FECAFOOT partner Sky Motos, joining a suite of cash prizes and rewards that underscore the growing prestige of domestic football’s premier individual honour.
The announcement comes ahead of the February 27 ceremony at the Palais de Congrès, which will feature a dramatic overhaul of how winners are determined. In a move that marks a clear departure from tradition, FECAFOOT has stripped voting rights from both the media and the public, handing complete control to MTN Elite One team captains and coaches.
It’s a decision that places decision-making power directly in the hands of football professionals who compete against the nominees every week. The federation’s message is unambiguous: those who know the players best should decide who deserves recognition.
The selection process will evaluate candidates across three distinct areas. First, individual performance and technical ability, measuring how players influence match results through their skill and decision-making. Second, team success, including league standings, trophies won, and each player’s importance to their squad. Third, discipline and behaviour, where accumulated red cards and poor conduct could derail even the most talented player’s chances.
After voting concludes, the field will narrow to three finalists before the winner is announced on awards night.
The ceremony will recognise excellence across multiple categories. Best Goalkeeper awards will be presented to both male and female winners, while the Best Coach category has been designed to encourage collaboration between the men’s and women’s game, with managers from both MTN Elite One and the Guinness Super League competing against each other.
The Newcomer of the Year award will spotlight emerging talent who haven’t yet represented Cameroon at senior international level, specifically players under 23 in the men’s category and under 18 in the women’s. Additional awards will recognise top scorers, outstanding referees and assistant referees, and Fair Play exemplars.
Both MTN Elite One and the Guinness Super League will crown their respective Club of the Year, while the Goal of the Year awards represent the sole category where supporters retain voting power. Fans will select the season’s most spectacular goals from both competitions, ensuring public participation isn’t entirely eliminated from proceedings.
Nominees have been instructed to arrive in either formal party attire or traditional dress, befitting an occasion that FECAFOOT clearly intends to position as the centrepiece of Cameroon’s football calendar.
The question now is simple: who will succeed Nchindo John Bosco as Cameroon’s finest? With February 27 fast approaching, the race for the golden ball and that gleaming new SUV is well and truly on.
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