Cameroon defender Jonathan Ngwem facing three-year imprisonment after ‘arrest at Cairo airport’ over cheque dispute

Cameroon international Jonathan Ngwem has reportedly been arrested at Sphinx International Airport in Cairo while attempting to leave Egypt, in a case linked to an alleged unpaid cheque rather than any football-related offence.

The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations winner is wanted in connection with a court ruling over what has been described as a financial dispute involving an unpaid cheque, according to reports from Cameroon.

Ngwem is reported to face a three-year prison sentence after the ruling, although the case stems from a civil and financial matter rather than conduct connected to his playing career.

The 32-year-old left-back, who was part of the Cameroon squad that lifted the AFCON title in Gabon in 2017, has reportedly been detained in Egypt for weeks, with growing calls for Cameroonian authorities to intervene on his behalf.

The reports say Ngwem was stopped by airport authorities at Cairo’s Sphinx International Airport as he tried to travel out of the country, with the outstanding court judgment triggering his arrest.

The case has attracted widespread attention in Cameroon, where supporters and local media have stressed that the matter concerns an alleged financial obligation and should not be confused with a sporting or disciplinary offence.

Neither Egyptian authorities nor Cameroon’s football federation had publicly commented on the reported detention at the time of writing.