Tensions have resurfaced between FECAFOOT President Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon’s Sports Minister, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, this time over the official handover of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) trophy to the government.
Cameroon’s women’s national team, the Indomitable Lionesses, made history on August 16, 2026, in Rabat, Morocco, by winning their first-ever WAFCON title. Cameroon defeated Malawi 3-0 in the final, ending a run of three previous final defeats in 2004, 2014 and 2016.
According to the reports, Eto’o requested a meeting with Minister Mouelle Kombi to allow a FECAFOOT delegation to officially present the trophy to the Ministry of Sports.
However, in an official letter dated August 19, 2026, Mouelle Kombi rejected the request, arguing that the constitutional authority and honour of receiving the national team and its trophy belongs exclusively to the President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul Biya.
The dispute has revived memories of the long-running tensions between FECAFOOT and the Ministry of Sports over the management of Cameroon’s men’s national team, the Indomitable Lions, particularly regarding authority over the appointment of the technical staff.
Although the two sides reached an agreement in 2024, the latest dispute suggests that the issue of institutional authority and control over Cameroon’s national football teams remains unresolved.
