FIFA suspends Cameroon FA

FIFA has announced the provisional suspension of the Cameroonian Football Association (FECAFOOT) with immediate effect, citing government interference in the running of the governing body.

FIFA has announced the provisional suspension of the Cameroonian Football Association (FECAFOOT) with immediate effect, citing government interference in the running of the governing body.

FIFA said a normalisation committee will be established to revise the FECAFOOT statutes and to organise elections for new office bearers by March 31, 2014, at the same time as managing the daily business of the body. The FIFA administration, in cooperation with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will identify and nominate the members of the normalisation committee.


The normalisation committee will act as an electoral body, whose decisions will be final and binding. Its members will not be eligible for any of the open positions. FIFA said the suspension will be lifted once the Cameroonian authorities allow the new normalisation committee to enter the FECAFOOT headquarters and to carry out its activities unhindered. FIFA action had been expected after with a series of controversies creating turmoil for FECAFOOT. BBC Sport reports that FECAFOOT’s Elections Appeals Committee last month declared void the result of elections which retained Iya Mohammed as president. Mohammed is currently detained in prison while charges of embezzling money at state-owned Cotton Development Company are investigated.

Thursday’s announcement came as Cameroon’s chances of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup improved through another FIFA ruling. Cameroon moved one point clear of Libya at the top of African Group I after Togo was found guilty of fielding an illegible player in a qualifier between the two teams. Cameroon had lost the game 2-0, but has now been awarded with a 3-0 win putting it in pole position in the group with one game to play.