By Hilltopvoices Team
Ivo Chi, a well known football promoter in the NW Region, Cameroon and the world has expressed concerns over the choice of players who play for the national team.
His concern based mainly on the bi-colonial lines of the country focuses on the little or no use of anglophones in national selections.
In a recent open letter to the President of the Cameroon Football Federation FECAFOOT Seidou Mbombo Njoya, the football specialist in both national and international football affirms "i am in fact the right person in this situation to speak to you looking at all the millions I spend to help develop football in the north west and south west of the country every year. I have the full rights as a Cameroonian as you and as well as a top football activist in the country to make such complaints that concerns your administration not treating the Anglophone youths the right way they deserve to be treated."
While rhetorically questioning if "amongst 5 million Anglophone children, none is good enough to make a list of 25 players?" Ivo states "You and I know for a fact that it is impossible" adding "Your federation Sir, must attack this kind of discrimination heads on."
Coming at the time the country is still battling with social unrest in the english speaking regions, the football expert observes that "Our Country is going through extraordinary times that minor injustices of this magnitude are ingrained as some of the root causes. The war in the NW and SW is ongoing today because of discrimination against Minorities."
"Cameroonian kids are dying on a daily basis because leaders in high places like you have failed to remedy the situation or have blatantly encouraged it." Ivo Chi tells Seidou Mbombo Njoya.
He however advises the federation to act now before it gets off hand. "My advise is that you take this as a responsibility to make a change ASAP so that anglophone talented players should be more considered to all the national team categories in Cameroonian football. It’s a shame that anglophone players don’t have a fair chance when ever I see a national team list of players being called up."
It should be noted that this is not the first time Ivo Chi is raising concerns around this same subject to the president of FECAFOOT. In response to a previous complain, Seidou Mbombo Njoya noted in a letter (a copy which we have) that some anglophones have always been called for national selections. While citing Manfred Makumba who played with the U-17 national team in Tanzania, Mpeh Bessong, Abam Michealla of the female national team, Seidou Mbombo Njoya concluded "be reassured that we have taken note of your concern and that as an institution we will continue to ensure that equal opportunity and fair balance is guaranteed to all football players of Cameroon as long as they qualify to be selected"
It is likely that the president and the federation have maintained the status quo forcing Ivo Chi to speak again in the open letter currently circulating online.
First published by The Guardian Post of November 7, 2019
Ivo Chi, a well known football promoter in the NW Region, Cameroon and the world has expressed concerns over the choice of players who play for the national team.
His concern based mainly on the bi-colonial lines of the country focuses on the little or no use of anglophones in national selections.
In a recent open letter to the President of the Cameroon Football Federation FECAFOOT Seidou Mbombo Njoya, the football specialist in both national and international football affirms "i am in fact the right person in this situation to speak to you looking at all the millions I spend to help develop football in the north west and south west of the country every year. I have the full rights as a Cameroonian as you and as well as a top football activist in the country to make such complaints that concerns your administration not treating the Anglophone youths the right way they deserve to be treated."
While rhetorically questioning if "amongst 5 million Anglophone children, none is good enough to make a list of 25 players?" Ivo states "You and I know for a fact that it is impossible" adding "Your federation Sir, must attack this kind of discrimination heads on."
Coming at the time the country is still battling with social unrest in the english speaking regions, the football expert observes that "Our Country is going through extraordinary times that minor injustices of this magnitude are ingrained as some of the root causes. The war in the NW and SW is ongoing today because of discrimination against Minorities."
"Cameroonian kids are dying on a daily basis because leaders in high places like you have failed to remedy the situation or have blatantly encouraged it." Ivo Chi tells Seidou Mbombo Njoya.
He however advises the federation to act now before it gets off hand. "My advise is that you take this as a responsibility to make a change ASAP so that anglophone talented players should be more considered to all the national team categories in Cameroonian football. It’s a shame that anglophone players don’t have a fair chance when ever I see a national team list of players being called up."
It should be noted that this is not the first time Ivo Chi is raising concerns around this same subject to the president of FECAFOOT. In response to a previous complain, Seidou Mbombo Njoya noted in a letter (a copy which we have) that some anglophones have always been called for national selections. While citing Manfred Makumba who played with the U-17 national team in Tanzania, Mpeh Bessong, Abam Michealla of the female national team, Seidou Mbombo Njoya concluded "be reassured that we have taken note of your concern and that as an institution we will continue to ensure that equal opportunity and fair balance is guaranteed to all football players of Cameroon as long as they qualify to be selected"
It is likely that the president and the federation have maintained the status quo forcing Ivo Chi to speak again in the open letter currently circulating online.
First published by The Guardian Post of November 7, 2019