"The North West Region just like the rest of Cameroon will need to run a youth and feminine championship" Ndi Tsembom Elvis, scribe of the NW regional bureau of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) revealed this information to the media on Friday January 20th 2020 during the ordinary general assembly of FECAFOOT NW for the 2020 season. In this light, 7 feminine football clubs have already indicated readiness to partake in the upcoming regional league.
Though a seemingly neglected domain, female football is today gradually gaining grounds in the North West Region, Cameroon and the world at large. Unfortunately, most investors shun putting their money into the domain. The FECAFOOT NW Secretary General thinks "Investing in football is a business,so investors will need to look at how lucrative female football can be. Moreover it has to do with exposure. In the yesteryears, people didn't really feel like it was worth the effort to invest in female football. Mind you that some people even think investing in football is thrash"
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| Ndi Tsembom Elvis (L) & Mbigha Felix (R) Chairing the Meeting |
He went on to affirm that the women's game is gradually gaining local, national and why not global attention. Prove is that for instance, there are 12 clubs at the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON), compared to 24 for the male and 12 clubs at the Cameroon female football league, compared to 18 for the male. At the world cup, there are 32 teams for men, 24 for women. "It warrants a global attention to increase interest like male football" Ndi Tsembom Elvis added.
Of recent, one female football team has been distinctively standing out tall and strong within the North West Region. In just over three years of existence, Vision Sports FC has dominated the domain of feminine football as the team gained qualification to play in Division 1 this coming sports season after lifting up the victory trophy by beating AJSAC of Douala, 2 - 1 on the 5th of September 2019 during the finals of the national interpools. On October 14th 2019, they presented their trophy to NW governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique who in turn offered the visionary ladies a sumptuous financial support package of 1 million Francs from the Head of State, Paul Biya. In addition, last year, out of the about 9 female referees within the region, 2 got promoted to the national level from where they shall now be officiating first division matches.
On Tuesday January 7 2020 during the CAF Awards that took place in Egypt, the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon emerged Best Female Team of the year while Cameroonian forward Ajara Nchout missed being Best Female Player of the year on the continent as she slightly lost the prestigious recognition to Nigeria Super Falcon's Asisat Oshoala. These are clear indications that female football is worth the salt, reason why FECAFOOT NW shall be doing all humanly possible to promote the game within the region and beyond.
Discussions during the FECAFOOT NW 2020 general assembly also centred on committee reports during which the Referees Appointment Committee was applauded for being the brain behind the success story of last year's sports season. The Competitions Committee on its part noted with regrets that out of all the earmarked stadiums for the competition, only the Unity Stadium on the campus of the University of Bamenda is worth the name.
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| Family Photo |
After presenting his own report as head of Media, Promotion and Marketing Committee, Nji Nelson Chefor, on behalf of the management of Rush FC, founded by Soppo Ngwa, a renowned football promoter within the region offered a special new year gift of 26 brand new referee jerseys to FECAFOOT NW to help the federation realise its objectives. The gesture was appreciated and an appeal made for more freewill donors to support FECAFOOT NW.
At the close of the assembly, attendees resolved that:
1. Teams that can't play their matches due to insecurity should be kept aside for the season till things normalise.
2. The president should make sure Yaounde gives the region a licences production machine before the championship starts.
3. The region will continue participating in the cup of Cameroon upon presentation of licenses in the office where a "borderau"/slip will be established for usage up to the level of quarter finals.
4. The president should seek for financial support from Yaounde to help teams coming out of Mezam successfully partake in the competition.
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| Session |
Talking to the press at the end of the assembly, FACAFOOT NW president, Mbigha Felix said _" It was a successful general assembly and thus the beginning of success for this season in our region as we hope to grab the cup of Cameroon"_ For over ten years today, the NW hasn't produced any female division one team, thus the success of Vision Sports FC and Foncha Street FC that qualified for male Division 2 was rated an achievement of his first year in office.
As for challenges, the major setback remains the absence of a standard playground within the region plus that hardly is funding sent for feminine football but despite these, the regional bureau of the sports federation still hopes to sail through especially as FIFA has accorded the region a synthetic pitch to be constructed at PACOVITA Bamenda in the days ahead.
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