The President of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto’o Fils, has promised to groom more football talents in Adamawa and revitalize local football during his two-day visit to the Region.
His Adamawa visit also marked the kickoff of the local regional football league season.
Eto’o was warmly received by the Adamawa Governor, Kildadi Taguiéké Boukar, at the Governor’s residence in the Hauts-Plateaux neighborhood.
During their meeting, discussions centered on strategies to uplift the Region’s football talent, which often lacks sufficient opportunities to flourish.
Eto’o reiterated his pledge to work tirelessly towards providing avenues for talented individuals in the Adamawa region to showcase their skills.
Recognizing the importance of infrastructure in nurturing football talent, stakeholders in the region urged Eto’o to facilitate the construction of local sporting facilities.
Eto’o has been exploring potential partnerships to construct sports infrastructure across Cameroon. Recently, he held discussions with Camille Akoa, President of the Local Council Support Fund (FEICOM), to explore collaboration opportunities for building sports facilities in the country.
Since his election as President of FECAFOOT in December 2021, the four-time African Ballon d’Or winner has been vocal about his ambition to improve football infrastructure nationwide.
He has pledged to construct 12 stadiums across Cameroon, including in Bamenda, the capital of the North West Region.
The North West has no football stadium, despite contributing two clubs to the country’s top league, the Elite One Championship. One of Eto’o’s first promises upon his election was to construct a stadium in Bamenda.
The construction of the Bamenda proximity stadium recently commenced, marking a significant step towards fulfilling Eto’o’s commitment to enhancing football infrastructure in Cameroon.
Eto’o’s dedication to reshaping professional football management in Cameroon has been evident through various structural changes implemented during his tenure.
This includes raising the minimum wage for elite players. The FECAFOOT boss forced club owners to pay an MTN Elite Player a minimum of FCFA 200,000; Guinness Super League players FCFA 100,000; and MTN Elite Two players FCFA 75,000 minimum.
He stated that his motive for constructing stadiums across towns in Cameroon was to provide opportunities for everyone to engage in football, regardless of their background or location.
