CAF Inter-Club Competitions : Lacklustre Start For Cameroonian Clubs

A disastrous start has stained the participation of Cameroonian clubs in the 2024-2025 CAF Inter-club competitions. Both Victoria United and Fovu Club of Baham suffered humiliating defeats in their first leg first round preliminary matches, a debacle compounded by administrative laxity.
Victoria United, Cameroon’s representative in the Champions League, was outclassed by Ghana’s Samartex, losing 0-1 at the Japoma Stadium in Douala on August 18, 2024 Meanwhile, Fovu, competing in the Confederation Cup, endured a crushing 0-4 defeat against Liberia’s Paynesville FC in Monrovia. These results, while shocking, were not entirely unexpected given the circumstances.
Victoria United found itself severely handicapped, competing with only 13 players due to player registration issues, as reported. The club president is quoted to have regretted that a full squad could have yielded different results given the level of the competition. Fovu’s predicament was even more horrible. The team embarked on its journey to Liberia with an incomplete squad and ultimately played with only eight players due to the same plmayer registration problem, reports have confirmed. Facing a goalkeeper and seven outfield players, the overwhelmed Cameroonians were no match for their Liberian hosts.
The player registration problem faced by both clubs is a call for concern. According to reliable sources, Victoria United registered 21 players and Fovu 33 in the CAF system. But CAF validated nine players from Fovu and 13 from Victoria United whose files were in conformity with requirements. The other players were...