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A growing scandal is engulfing the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) and the Ministry of Sports, as accusations of embezzlement and financial mismanagement surface over funding for recent international friendly matches against Russia and Mexico.
According to whistleblower Shance Lion, the controversy exposes not only potential corruption but also serious institutional failures.
In an analysis released on July 11, Lion claims that significant sums of money earmarked for the friendlies were either misused or redirected in ways that raise deep concerns over transparency and oversight.
Particularly alarming, Lion notes, is the reported transfer of funds intended for FECAFOOT to the personal account of its president, Samuel Eto’o, at the National Bank of Qatar.
While organizers of the matches reportedly covered most participation costs, FECAFOOT is said to have simultaneously requested — and received — additional funding from the Cameroonian state.
“This double funding request is a blatant failure on the part of the Ministry, which should have demanded immediate transparency and the presentation of the partnership contracts,” Lion writes.
“It raises doubts about its role in these transactions.”
The Ministry of Sports, led by Professor Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, has faced growing criticism for its silence.
Despite the magnitude of the allegations, no formal administrative inquiry has been launched.
Lion argues this lack of response could suggest more than negligence — it may point to complicity.
“The Ministry’s prolonged and seemingly complicit silence is equally alarming,” he adds.
“It could indicate tacit complicity in the mismanagement of funds.”
Critics argue that such passivity threatens the credibility of Cameroonian football and the integrity of public institutions.
The call for a thorough investigation is growing louder, with demands for accountability from both FECAFOOT and the Ministry of Sports.
“Cameroonian citizens deserve clear answers about the use of their resources,” Lion stresses.
“The current silence can only reinforce cynicism and mistrust toward the authorities responsible for managing public funds.”
As pressure mounts, the spotlight now rests on whether the government will take meaningful action or allow the scandal to deepen public disillusionment with the country’s sporting institutions.
