This Friday, the Indomitable Lions will take to the green wearing a uniform without an equipment manufacturer logo. This choice, announced a few weeks ago, is part of a recent history marked by contractual ruptures and controversial decisions within the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT). Cameroon – Kenya will certainly mark an interlude that we will not want to relive. Spending several million on uniforms for a national team is quite unusual.
A look back at the breakup with Le Coq Sportif
It all started shortly after the election of Samuel Eto’o as head of FECAFOOT in December 2021. After the CAN 2022 contested in Cameroon and the qualification for the 2022 World Cup, Samuel Eto’o and his Fécafoot took over decision to terminate the contract which linked the federation to the French equipment manufacturer Le Coq Sportif. This rupture, brutal and unilateral, surprised many observers and quickly took a legal turn. The case is currently still pending before the courts. Le Coq Sportif is demanding financial compensation for this unilateral termination.
This decision marked a clear desire by Eto’o to question agreements made before his mandate, but it also raised questions about the management of the federation’s partnerships.
One All Sports: a new era… short-lived
To replace Le Coq Sportif, FECAFOOT quickly turned to One All Sports, a brand previously unknown in football, but specialized in motor sports. This choice, received with skepticism, was nevertheless accompanied by ambitious promises. The contract with One All Sports notably provided for the annual payment of approximately one billion FCFA to the federation, as well as material benefits such as a luxury bus for the national team.
It is with this new outfit that the Indomitable Lions competed in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In summer 2024, FECAFOOT announced that it had severed its relations with One All Sports, without providing a clear explanation on the reasons for this separation apart from non-compliance with the commitments made. This sudden break has relaunched the debate on the transparency of the commercial agreements concluded by the federation, leaving the sartorial future of the national team unclear.
The match against Kenya: A first without equipment supplier
FECAFOOT had promised that the last gathering of the Indomitable Lions with equipment from One All Sports would take place in September. This Friday, against Kenya, the Cameroonians will take to the pitch with a jersey without any equipment manufacturer logo. An unprecedented choice in international football.
A symbolic gesture or a sign of crisis?
Some might see this uniform without a logo as a strong symbol of independence. In a globalized football where big brands are omnipresent, Cameroon could stand out by highlighting its national identity, far from commercial interests. This jersey, stripped of any reference to a sponsor, would then become a symbol of pride and sovereignty.
However, others see it more as a sign of chaotic management at the top of the federation. After two successive ruptures with equipment manufacturers, Cameroon finds itself without an official partner on the eve of a crucial match for qualification for CAN 2025. The lack of transparency on the contracts passed and on the reasons for these ruptures leaves a doubt doubt about the stability of the internal management of FECAFOOT.
Cameroon – Kenya: a match with multiple challenges
The match against Kenya will not only be a sporting issue. Beyond qualification for CAN 2025, it also symbolizes a period of transition for Cameroonian football. The coach brought several new players into the den that he wanted to see up close. That might give him some ideas.
Bernard Patipe
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