The Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot), under the leadership of Samuel Eto’o, has won a key legal battle against the National Union of Cameroonian Footballers (Synafoc), led by former teammate Geremi Njitap.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, the Conciliation and Arbitration Chamber of the National Olympic and Sports Committee of Cameroon (CNOSC) upheld Fecafoot’s decision to withdraw its recognition of Synafoc, marking a turning point in a power struggle that has divided two of Cameroon’s most prominent former internationals.
Although Synafoc’s appeal was deemed admissible in form, the Chamber ultimately rejected it due to a failure to reach conciliation on the substance of the matter.
As a result, Fecafoot’s decision to strip Synafoc of its official status remains legally valid.
This ruling effectively transfers representation of Cameroonian footballers to the newly created National Association of Cameroonian Footballers (ANFC), which has emerged with the backing of Eto’o’s Fecafoot administration.
The dispute began in November 2024 when Fecafoot announced the withdrawal of Synafoc’s approval.
The move was immediately met with outrage from Geremi Njitap and his supporters, who accused Fecafoot of acting unlawfully.
They argued that only the Ministry of Sports has the authority to grant or revoke such recognition.
Prominent legal voices, including attorney Éric Bisso, criticized the federation’s decision, calling it a “legal heresy.”
The conflict escalated after Synafoc filed complaints with FIFA and FIFPro over unpaid salaries for Cameroonian players, an action that led to a fine of 25,000 Swiss francs being imposed on Fecafoot.
Eto’o’s camp viewed this move as an act of disloyalty, deepening the rift between the two former footballers and intensifying the ongoing power struggle.
The latest ruling is a significant victory for Eto’o, who has steadily asserted his influence over domestic football structures since assuming leadership of Fecafoot.
It also represents a major blow to Geremi Njitap, whose legal avenues to challenge the decision appear to be narrowing, though a response from the Ministry of Sports could still reshape the situation.
While the legal front may have favoured Eto’o for now, the broader political implications remain unresolved. Questions linger over the legitimacy of Fecafoot’s authority to revoke Synafoc’s status without ministry approval.
Whether the Ministry of Sports will intervene or let the CNOSC’s ruling stand uncontested remains to be seen.
As tensions simmer, one thing is clear: Samuel Eto’o has emerged from this legal confrontation with a reinforced grip on Cameroonian football governance, leaving Geremi Njitap and Synafoc sidelined in a battle that may be far from over.
🔴 SYNAFOC vs FECAFOOT sur le retrait de l’agrément du syndicat. ⚔️
La chambre de conciliation et d’arbitrage du CNOSC déclare que l’action du SYNAFOC est recevable sur la forme mais constate la non-conciliation des parties sur le fond. ❌🇨🇲 pic.twitter.com/e12yPaHlAo
— AllezLesLions (@AllezLesLions) April 4, 2025
