2024 Cameroon Ballon d’Or silently snubbed?
By Biwah Bryan
Hopes of seeing last season’s top players, Nchindo John Bosco, Nathan Douala, Jule Armand kooh and others battle for the 2024 Cameroon Ballon d’Or have slumped as the federation quietly skipped the organization of the ceremony which awards the most outstanding players, coaches, referees and teams in context of Cameroon football.
Past trends had dictated that the ceremony would take place in December, fueling widespread speculation that it would follow the usual timeline. However, as January 2025 arrived, the Cameroon football community has been left surprised with no awards ceremony taking place.
Although the award isn’t mandatory for the federation, the current administration had generated significant excitement among Cameroonians by reviving the award which had been dormant for years and organized two consecutive ceremonies, thereby raising expectations.
Two plausible explanations emerge for the absence of this award. On one hand, financial constraints may have hindered their ability to organize the award.
On the other hand, the federation’s attention may have been diverted by a multitude of pressing matters throughout the 2024 calendar, including searching for national team sponsors, resolving disputes with the Ministry of Sports, addressing issues with elite clubs, and tackling various other challenges.
Since the award’s revival in 2022, the winners have been:
– 2022: Souaibou Marou (male category) and Ngock Monique (female category)
– 2023: Emmanuel Mahop (male category) and Ngah Manga Marie Gisele (female category)
The award which has been a welcomed initiative has ironically proven to be a curse for its male winners, whose careers have stagnated after leaving the country.
Souaibou Marou, the 2022 winner, joined Orlando Pirates in South Africa but soon departed due to limited playing time. Similarly, Emmanuel Mahop, the 2023 winner, left Cameroon but returned home to Coton Sport, only to struggle to regain his form and make a significant impact.
