By Awambeng Fuh
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Cameroon’s already-heated football governance crisis deepened on Friday after the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Prof. Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, formally refused to take part in FECAFOOT’s elective General Assembly scheduled for 29 November 2025 — a move that effectively questions the credibility and legality of the planned vote.
In a strongly-worded letter dated 14 November 2025, the minister rejected FECAFOOT’s request to designate two representatives from his ministry to sit in the electoral session at the CAF Centre of Excellence in Mbankomo. Instead, he delivered a stern assessment of the federation’s conduct, accusing the current leadership of ignoring state-recognized statutes and rushing into an election riddled with disputes.
A Clash Over Statutes and Legitimacy
At the heart of the latest standoff is a long-running battle over which FECAFOOT statutes are legally valid. Mouelle Kombi maintains that only the statutes adopted under the FECAFOOT–CAF–FIFA consensual framework of 13 July 2021 carry state recognition.
“The electoral environment must be consensual, inclusive, collaborative and peaceful,” the minister wrote, insisting that FECAFOOT has failed to comply with the 2021 framework. He said electoral bodies at all levels must be independent and neutral — conditions he argues have not been met.
Sources close to the ministry say officials believe FECAFOOT’s current process has “deviated sharply” from legal and statutory requirements, especially regarding the composition of the electoral college and eligibility criteria.
A Process “Widely Denounced as Fraudulent”
The minister did not mince his words in describing the present situation. In the letter, he accuses FECAFOOT’s leadership of displaying “persistent defiance” towards his earlier directives issued on 21 August 2025, when he asked the federation to resolve disputes and clean up the electoral environment before convening any vote.
Instead, he says, the federation has advanced with “numerous irregularities widely denounced by football actors as fraudulent” — a description that highlights how fractured the football community remains.
A veteran administrative source in Yaoundé told kick442.com that several regional and departmental factions have already filed petitions contesting the independence of electoral commissions and alleging manipulations in the designation of delegates.
Concerns Over Public Order
Beyond legal questions, the minister also warns of broader risks to social stability. With tensions already bubbling among various football stakeholders, Prof. Mouelle Kombi says the current trajectory could trigger confrontations.
He stressed that unresolved disputes, procedural weaknesses and lack of consensus “could lead to serious tensions and disturb public order,” adding that the State cannot endorse any process likely to deepen divisions within the football family.
A senior sports governance analyst describes the minister’s stance as a “preventive shield,” noting that previous FECAFOOT electoral cycles have sparked confrontations, legal battles and even violent scenes.
Call to Suspend the Electoral Process
For the Sports Minister, the solution is straightforward: halt the process and fix it.
He reiterated his call for FECAFOOT to suspend the ongoing election, address irregularities, and restore conditions that guarantee “credible, transparent and lawful” polls — those aligned with FECAFOOT’s statutes, national legislation and international football regulations.
Until then, the Ministry of Sports will not send representatives or validate the 29 November assembly — a decision that casts a long shadow over the legitimacy of any election held without state oversight.
A Federation at a Crossroads
This latest development sets the stage for yet another institutional showdown between FECAFOOT and the Ministry — a dynamic that has shaped Cameroon’s football politics for years.
With just two weeks to the proposed election date, uncertainty now hangs over whether the assembly can go ahead — and if it does, whether its outcomes will be recognized by state and international bodies.
What remains clear is that Cameroon’s football, both on and off the pitch, faces one of its most consequential governance crises in recent memory. The weeks ahead could determine not only who leads FECAFOOT, but what direction the sport takes in a country where football stirs passion like nothing els
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