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Why Cameroonian Clubs No Longer Shine (17.09.2004)
TCHE Irene MORIKANG
Financial and managerial crises are responsible for the mediocre performance of Cameroonian clubs in continental competitions.
Four Cameroonian football clubs were involved in continental competitions at the start of the season. They are: Canon of Yaounde, Cotonsport of Garoua, PWD of Bamenda and Sable of Batie. From the performances of the teams, one might be tempted to say the virus of mediocrity has been transmitted from the Indomitable Lions to most of them. The Confederation Cup, the new competition that replaced the Africa Winner`s Cup and the CAF Cup, started off in April with Sable of Batie and PWD of Bamenda. The two clubs succeeded to meander through to the 8th finals. PWD Bamenda however crashed out of the competition at this stage after one draw and a defeat. The "sand sand boys" however strived on and were joined in the pursuit of the Confederation Cup by Cotonsport and Canon ejected from the Champions League.
In effect, Cotonsport Garoua and Canon Yaounde dropped out of the CAF Champions League at the eight finals. Canon was later eliminated from the Confederation Cup race, while Cotonsport and Sable linger on. Things are however rough for the two Cameroonian teams as they are presently toeing Group B`s unofficial classification. With two draws in two outings, Cotonsport occupies the third position, while Sable occupies the last with one point after recording one draw and a defeat. It will be difficult, although not impossible, for the teams to move on in the competition after such mediocre performances.
Experts have attributed this poor output of Cameroonian teams at continental competitions to several factors. The lack of financial resources and poor management are the most glaring. Most
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clubs in Cameroon are not financially viable. This has a direct bearing on the quality of players who they recruit and by implication, their performance. PWD Bamenda, for example, started its continental jamboree with only 14 players. Club officials say there was no money to hire more players. Added to this is the fact that some of the star players of the Bamenda-based team abandoned the club prior to the competition for greener pastures. PWD`s poor outing was therefore predictable. Financial crisis is also responsible for the late arrival of most Cameroonian clubs for their away matches. This usually gives little time for the players, exhausted from travelling, to recover. The most glaring example this season occurred when PWD Bamenda arrived in Dakar, six hours to the start of their match against AS Douanes.
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Canon Yaounde, on the other hand, is a good example of a club that has been rocked by managerial crisis. The leadership tussle at the helm of the club dampens the moral of the players. The poor performances of the "almighty" Canon football club at continental competition this season is therefore a simple reflection of the chaos in the club.
Cotonsport of Garoua and Sable of Batie are the two clubs that are evolving in apparent serenity. While Sable`s principal source of finance is government subvention, the cotton weavers of the north benefit from the largesse of SODECOTON. The club, which has an expatriate coach, can also boast of some of the best players in the national Super League. One would have expected better results from the Garoua-based team. Coach Lamine N`diaye and his boys are aware of this and attribute their poor performance to ill luck.
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