Yaounde (Cameroon), Jan 27 Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) has suspended four referees and a match inspector following contentious refereeing decisions during a game in the country's flagship football tournament, the MTN Elite One Championship.
In a statement, FECAFOOT said the match, which was played on the opening day of the championship between Victoria United and PWD of Bamenda, was "marred by clearly questionable refereeing decisions".
The match, hosted by Victoria United on Sunday, saw four yellow cards shown to PWD Bamenda, two PWD goals disallowed, and three penalties awarded to Victoria United, reports Xinhua.
"The refereeing quartet and the match inspector who officiated during the said match have been provisionally suspended from all activity pending the conclusion of the ongoing disciplinary procedures," FECAFOOT said in the statement on Monday night.
FECAFOOT said it was also investigating "serious suspicions of match-fixing" in the Dynamo Douala vs AS Fortuna match, played on the same day.
Match-fixing in Cameroonian football has come under the spotlight in recent times, with stakeholders alarmed by the increasing cases of alleged manipulation of results in the country's MTN Elite One Championship and lower tiers. "FECAFOOT reaffirms its unwavering commitment to integrity, transparency in competitions, and fair play, values essential to the development of national football. It reiterates that only the outcome on the pitch should be decided," the statement said.
A few days back, Cameroonian Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o was suspended for four games for alleged misbehaviour during his team’s loss to Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The federation, known as FECAFOOT, said Wednesday that it had taken note of the decision from the disciplinary committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to suspend its president along with a $20,000 fine, but that it “lacks any explicit justification”. “FECAFOOT further notes that the expedited procedure leading to this decision raises serious concerns regarding the fundamental requirements of a fair trial,” the federation said.
CAF said on Monday it was investigating match incidents during the quarterfinals between Cameroon and Morocco, and Algeria and Nigeria.
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