The tinkering of the constitution of FECAFOOT to extend the mandate of Samuel Eto’o Fils as president of the Fédération Camerounaise de Football (Fecafoot) among other changes must be validated by the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education (Minsep).
According to Article 47 of Law No. 2018/011 governing physical and sports activities in Cameroon, the statutes of national sports federations must undergo a conformity check.
It is in this connection that MINSEP sent a letter on December 10, 2024, to the president of Fecafoot regarding the recent modifications to its statutes.
These modifications, adopted during an Extraordinary General Assembly on November 16, 2024, at the CAF Center of Excellence in Mbankomo, can only come into effect after ministerial validation, in accordance with Cameroonian sports legislation.
In the letter, the ministry has requested detailed explanations on the modifications made to Articles 19, 23, 25, 36, 39, 45, 49, and 56 of the statutes. A particularly sensitive point concerns Article 36, which has sparked strong reactions: Samuel Eto’o wishes to extend the term limits from 2 to 3, potentially allowing him to lead the body for 12 years.
Without the formal approval of the Minsep, these statutory modifications are not legally applicable. Therefore, the federation will need to provide detailed justifications and motivations to hope for these changes to be ratified.
This intervention highlights the ongoing tensions between the Minsep and Fecafoot, particularly in the management of internal reforms. The ministry, through the voice of Mouelle Kombi, reaffirms its commitment to supervision and regulation to ensure transparent and legal governance.
The ball is now in Fecafoot’s court, which will have to provide the necessary explanations to obtain the essential approval.
