Yaoundé, November 15, 2025 (True Cameroon) — The growing confrontation between the Ministry of Sports (MINSEP) and the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) has exploded into public view, not merely as a sports administration dispute, but as a mirror of the deep institutional rot that has accumulated under decades of political centralization and CPDM-style governance.
The minister, Prof. Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, has refused to send ministry representatives to FECAFOOT’s November 29 elective General Assembly, denouncing the process as “irregular,” “fraudulent,” and a threat to public stability. FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o responded sharply, accusing the ministry of illegal interference, invoking the 2021 FIFA–CAF–Government agreement that guarantees federation autonomy.
On the surface, it is a battle over sports governance.
In reality, it is a symptom of a country where institutions do not operate independently, rules bend to power, and every sector is politicized from the top down.
I. A Crisis That Exposes a System Built on Centralized Power
For 42 years, Cameroon's governance architecture has been shaped by extreme centralization where ministries, federations, councils and even local structures function not as autonomous institutions, but as administrative appendages of a political system that rewards loyalty over accountability.
The FECAFOOT–MINSEP clash is simply the latest example of this chronic structural weakness:
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unclear mandates
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overlapping powers
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politicized appointments
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no effective checks and balances
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no institutional independence
Instead of clear, modern sports legislation, Cameroon operates in a grey zone of decrees, ministerial instructions, and political interpretations a perfect recipe for conflict.
The result is predictable:
institutions collide because the system is designed to prevent them from standing on their own.
II. A Ministry Claiming Oversight in a System Designed for Obedience
MINSEP’s stance—that it cannot endorse a flawed electoral process raises legitimate concerns about transparency. Yet, this position also reflects a deeper problem: Cameroonian ministries often operate less as regulators and more as political enforcers, shaping decisions through the lens of regime loyalty rather than institutional integrity.
Under a healthier system, the ministry’s concerns would trigger:
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independent audits
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neutral arbitration
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public clarifications
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transparent timelines
But Cameroon does not have these mechanisms.
So disputes escalate into confrontations, because institutions are forced to resolve political tensions without democratic tools.
This is not governance.
It is improvisation.
III. Eto’o’s Unopposed Candidacy: A Warning Signal of Institutional Weakness
The fact that Samuel Eto’o is running unopposed for the presidency of FECAFOOT because every other candidate was disqualified for incomplete files speaks volumes about the condition of federation democracy.
Whether intentional or accidental, the optics are alarming:
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no competition
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no debate
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no alternative visions
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no internal democracy
This mirrors the broader political culture created under the CPDM system, where electoral processes frequently produce predictable outcomes and meaningful competition is structurally discouraged.
In Cameroon, whether in politics or sports, power often reproduces itself through controlled systems rather than open, participatory ones.
IV. FECAFOOT Defends Autonomy, But Autonomy Cannot Replace Accountability
Eto’o’s rejection of MINSEP’s move grounded in FIFA rules that prohibit government interference is legally sound. But autonomy without transparency is equally dangerous.
FECAFOOT’s internal processes have long been criticized for:
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opaque decision-making
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unclear finances
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internal factional conflicts
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limited stakeholder participation
Autonomy should empower good governance not shield institutions from scrutiny.
Yet in Cameroon, autonomy often becomes a shield behind which elite groups govern without oversight, mirroring how national institutions operate under the CPDM regime.
This is how federations drift into personal fiefdoms rather than public-serving bodies.
V. A Governance Crisis With Far-Reaching Consequences
Both FECAFOOT and MINSEP are entrenched in a winner-takes-all standoff, but the real losers are:
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the clubs
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the players
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the regions
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the football economy
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and the citizens
Just as national governance has hardened into a system of central power and weakened institutions, football governance reflects the same pathologies:
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personalization of authority
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political capture
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lack of institutional independence
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poor accountability
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fear of competition
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unstable rules
This is not a sports problem.
It is Cameroon’s national political disease expressed through football.
VI. What This Crisis Reveals About the CPDM Governance Model
The CPDM political order has built a system where:
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institutions serve power, not citizens
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laws are flexible for some and rigid for others
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autonomy is selectively respected
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oversight is politicized
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governance becomes personality-centered
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institutions depend on political will rather than constitutional clarity
The FECAFOOT–MINSEP crisis is a textbook illustration of how these governance habits destabilize every sector they touch.
When institutions lack independence, every disagreement becomes a power struggle.
When rules are unclear, every conflict becomes a battle of interpretations.
When accountability is absent, public trust evaporates.
This is the governance legacy Cameroon lives with today.
Conclusion: Football Is Not the Problem — The System Is
Cameroon’s football institutions did not create this crisis.
They inherited it.
The FECAFOOT–MINSEP confrontation is the direct result of a larger political system that:
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stifles institutional independence
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centralizes power excessively
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discourages competition
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operates without transparency
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elevates loyalty above merit
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weakens the rule of law
Until Cameroon undergoes a deeper governance transformation, institutions whether ministries, federations, councils, or courts will continue to clash, malfunction, and disappoint the people they are meant to serve.
Football is simply the latest arena where the country’s broader decay is spilling into public view.
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