Players in the MTN Elite League One and Two as well as the Guinness Women Super League in Cameroon are now grinning from ear to ear.
This is because the football governing body in that Central African country FECAFOOT has announced the minimum salary of a player in the MTN Elite One is now 200,000 francs per month.
The minimum salary of a player in the Guinness Super League (women’s 1st division) is 100,000frs monthly.
The minimum salary of a player in the MTN Elite Two (men’s 2nd division) is fixed at 75000frs monthly.
There is no limit for a maximum wage, as clubs can pay as much as they want or can afford, but no player registered by a team shall earn below the stated figures in the respective competitions.
These resolutions were adopted by the FECAFOOT Executive Committee and General Assembly.
The president of FECAFOOT, Samuel Eto’o also said that each Elite One club shall receive a subvention of 48 million francs, while the champions shall receive 100 million francs in the upcoming MTN Elite One season.
The President of FECAFOOT, further said each club has to invest 5 million francs out of the money paid them in creating under-15 and under-17 teams.
The winner of the Guinness Super League (Cameroon women’s football league) will earn 20 million francs!
The team that finishes 2nd shall earn 15 million francs, 3rd shall earn 10 million, 4th shall earn 3 million and 5th shall take home 2 million francs.
These sums are different from the initial subsidies worth about 9 million francs given to each team at the start of the season.
Equally, the final instalment of grants due clubs with regard to the just-ended season is available, the President revealed.
Samuel Eto’o has also announced the organisation of a Cameroon Ballon d’Or event to recognise the best players and coaches of the league. This existed sometime in the past, and the President wants it back.
A training workshop will be organised to enable club management to catch up with modern organisational techniques and models for the smooth functioning of their respective entities.
Samuel Eto’o has equally expressed plans to organise the Cameroon Trophy of Champions (Super Cup) in what he described as “an American style”.
The new Elite One season will kick off on 15th October 2022 and end in April 2023, while Elite Two shall commence on 29th October 2022, and the Guinness Super League will kick off on 5th November 2022.
Among resolutions adopted at the end of the recent Ordinary General Assembly of FECAFOOT is Resolution Number 13 which reads, “The General Assembly unanimously approves the proposal to increase the term of office of the President of FECAFOOT.”
This seemingly is a strategic move to give Samuel Eto’o ample time to extensively accomplish the great vision he has laid out for Cameroonian football.
It also comes at a time when some of the President’s critics are arguing that he cannot renew his mandate in 2025 due to the court verdict in Spain. If this is the case, the extension is therefore key in granting the President more time to fulfil his mission before leaving.
FECAFOOT image maker, Ernest Obama said.
“There is no text that prohibits the modification of the duration of the term of office at FECAFOOT… Samuel Eto’o was elected for 4 years. Do you think he can realise all that he promised in 4 years? he asked rhetorically. The delegates are the ones who decided that the term of office should be increased to 7 years.”
At the end of the meeting, the club presidents expressed their satisfaction. “The president of FECAFOOT has kept his word, he had promised that he will double the envelope of the subsidy, and he did it. We start from 23 million to 48 million FCFA”, elated Pascal Abunde, president of PWD of Bamenda and president of ACEC, the collective of presidents of elite clubs in Cameroon.
Breakdown Of The Figures
MTN Elite League winner
100m = $ 152,378.90
Each club subvention
48m FRS = $ 73,141.87
Club U-15 & U-17
5m frs = $ 7,618.94
Guinness Women’s Super League
WINNER
20m frs = $ 30,475.78
SECOND
15m frs = $ 22,856.84
THIRD PLACE
10m frs = $ 15,237.89
FOURTH PLACE
3m frs = $ 4,571.37
FIFTH PLACE
2m frs = $ 3,047.58
Each club subvention
9m frs = $ 13,714.10