By Angu Lesley
Cameroonian match officials received a standing ovation from supporters of both teams after overseeing the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round encounter between Nigeria’s Shooting Stars and Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien.
Referee Fodouop Yannick and his fellow Cameroonians Vincent Nkemazem, Yamen Éric and Mefire Aboul Abdel earned widespread applause from both sets of fans at the end of a closely contested encounter, in a strong endorsement of their performance.
Fodouop served as the centre referee, with Nkemazem and Yamen Éric operating as assistant referees, while Mefire Aboul Abdel was the fourth official.
The quartet successfully navigated the intense encounter as Shooting Stars claimed a 1-0 victory over the Tunisian giants.
Despite the significance of the result and the competitive nature of the game, the Cameroonian officials were applauded by supporters from both camps at the final whistle — a rare and significant show of appreciation for match officials.
The standing ovation was particularly noteworthy given the pressure surrounding CAF inter-club matches, where officiating decisions can often become a major talking point.
Instead, the Cameroonian team left the pitch to applause, with their handling of the match earning recognition from both Nigerian and Tunisian supporters.
The performance further puts the spotlight on Cameroon’s growing presence in African football officiating and provides another positive moment for the country’s refereeing fraternity on the continental stage.
Shooting Stars’ 1-0 victory gives the Nigerian side a narrow advantage, but it was the Cameroonian officiating team that arguably left the pitch to the loudest applause.
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