By Angu Lesley
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Espoir Pokam FC founder and president Pokam Fabrice says his club is yet to receive training compensation following Bil Songo Tonfack Dorel’s transfer to Spanish club Deportivo La Coruña, claiming he has faced threats while pursuing an amicable resolution to the dispute.
Pokam Fabrice, president and founder of Espoir Pokam Football Club of Mbalmayo, has publicly appealed to football club promoters across Cameroon, drawing renewed attention to the issue of training compensation and the rights of grassroots clubs involved in the development of young players.
In a statement addressed to club promoters, Pokam said Espoir Pokam FC was the first club to register Songo Tonfack Bil Dorel, popularly known as Bil Songo, before the player moved to Lumière de Ndzeng and subsequently continued his career abroad. He maintains that Espoir Pokam FC has not received any payment from the player’s transfer to Deportivo La Coruña.
Pokam expressed frustration over what he described as the treatment of his club, alleging that other clubs and individuals involved in the player’s development had received millions of CFA francs in training compensation, while Espoir Pokam FC had received only a modest contribution from the player during a recent visit to Cameroon.
According to the club president, Bil Songo visited him and handed over three footballs, six training bibs and FCFA 5,000. Pokam said the gesture was inadequate given the financial rights he believes his club is entitled to as one of the player’s formative institutions.
The Espoir Pokam FC president said he had engaged legal advisers and that efforts had been made to reach an amicable agreement with the player and his family. He claimed that two representatives of the player subsequently opened discussions with the club and promised that Bil Songo would meet with him after Cameroon’s match against Côte d’Ivoire.
Pokam further stated that the player returned to Cameroon and visited the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) on October 5, 2026, where he was filmed alongside football officials.
However, Pokam alleges that the situation deteriorated following that visit. He claims to have received a direct telephone call from the player, during which he was allegedly threatened with imprisonment if he continued to pursue his compensation claim. He also alleges that he subsequently received intimidating messages from different individuals urging him to abandon the matter.
These allegations have not been independently verified, and Bil Songo’s response to the claims was not included in Pokam’s statement.
Despite the alleged threats, Pokam insists that he will continue to pursue what he considers to be the club’s legitimate entitlements. He said evidence, including player registration documents, photographs, messages and recordings, had been secured. He has also appealed to football authorities and state institutions to ensure his protection, citing concerns over his personal safety.
The dispute highlights broader questions surrounding the recognition and protection of grassroots clubs in Cameroon, particularly those that invest in the early development of players who later move into professional football. For many local academies and clubs, training compensation can provide an important source of revenue and help sustain youth development programmes.
Under FIFA regulations, training compensation may be payable to eligible clubs that have trained a player during the relevant development years, provided the applicable conditions are met. Establishing entitlement in an individual case, however, requires an examination of the player’s registration history, the applicable regulations and the circumstances surrounding the transfer. Espoir Pokam FC’s claim has yet to be independently established through the appropriate regulatory process.
Pokam says he remains open to an amicable settlement, provided the rights of the club he considers to be Bil Songo’s formative institution are recognised. He has vowed to continue pursuing the matter until it is resolved.
For now, the allegations have placed the spotlight on the relationship between professional players and the grassroots clubs that help shape their careers, with the football community awaiting further clarification on the compensation claim and the alleged threats.
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