Starting from the next football season in Cameroon, changes are expected in the organization of the primary football championships. The reform specifically targets the number of clubs participating in the first and second division national championships, increasing them from 14 to 18.
The decision, made secretly on December 5 by the Board of Directors of the Cameroon Professional Football League, comes in response to a request from the Association of Elite Clubs of Cameroon (Acec). The request, presented by the Pca du Canon de Yaoundé, aimed to support “friendly” clubs.
This decision benefits the relegated Mtn Elite One clubs, Panthère, Tonnere, and Sable de Batié, as they will no longer move down to Mtn Elite Two. Similarly, Aigle, Achille, and Tiko United, the three Mtn Elite Two clubs initially slated to play in the Regional League next season, will now see a more favorable outcome. Célestine Ketcha, the honorary president of Panthère, sees this measure as an opportunity to make players more competitive, explaining, “Our players had very few matches under their belt, and our teams were not competitive at the international level.”
However, Faustin Domkeu, the general president of New Stars of Douala, strongly opposes this decision, considering it a dismissal. He asserts that the Board of Directors lacks the authority to alter competition regulations at the end of the season. Domkeu mentions several clubs, including New Stars and As Matelots, as well as “Scorpion de Bé, Coton Sport de Garoua, Renaissance de Ngoumou, Cosmos de Bafia, Botafogo de Buea, Yong Sport Academy de Bamenda, National Polytechnic de Bambui,” that oppose the increase in the number of teams in the elite.
Domkeu, the most vocal opponent, does not rule out the possibility of a split, threatening, “If we are outvoted, we will hold a constituent assembly of real professional clubs. We are going to present our sports project. They will be able to organize their professional championship at 18; we will organize ours at 12.”
