Could Macron’s visit keep Coq sportif at FECAFOOT?
July 30th was the date set by the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, as deadline for the reception of proposals from kit suppliers interested in working with the national football teams.
A few hours after the deadline, it is expected that the executive body of the federation is examining offers that have been made by various companies and will soon make a final decision known to the public.
Read also: FECAFOOT puts an end to coq sportif contract
However, French president Emmanuel Macron just ended his visit to Cameroon and one of the objectives of this visit was to solidify the relationship between both countries and encourage French companies operating in the country. Le Coq Sportif, it is known, is a French kit supplier whose contract was abruptly terminated by the federation which claims that the terms were not fully respected. Le Coq Sportif has since threatened the federation and any future partners with a lawsuit should a new supplier be taken.
Read: Coq Sportif threatens FECAFOOT will lawsuit
During Macron’s visit, former national team coach Claude LeRoy was seen and even visited the federation headquarters in Tsinga. LeRoy who won the African nations cup with the team in 1988 is said to have been there to re-negotiate and plead for the maintenance of Le Coq Sportif as supplier of the national teams.
How did Le Coq Sportif get a contract at FECAFOOT
When Seidou Mbombo Njoya became FECAFOOT President, PUMA was the national teams supplier and paid about F CFA 1 billion 315 thousand to the federaion annually and supplied equipment worth about F CFA 52 million 500 thousand. On February 13 2019, Mbombo Njoya decided to go to PUMA office in France to discuss the terms of the contract. There, PUMA made it clear they were no longer willing to pay this amount to FECAFOOT: they were only willing to continue with half of this total. Mbombo Njoya then decided to talk with Yannick Noah, brand ambassador to Le Coq Sportif who also had been his friend for over 50 years. It was in April 2019 that Mbombo announced that the national teams would hence be dressed by Le Coq Sportif. Nobody from the executive or even marketing commission knew what the terms of the new contract were until information filtered that the new company would pay just F CFA 290 million per year. How could Mbombo have accepted such a deal whereas PUMA had proposed the double of this amount? In aaddition, they supplied just a quarter of the equipment PUMA had beeen negotiating to supply to the team. This in no way made sense. Patrick Ouyi, Coq Sportif’s marketing director had explained that the confidentiality clause included in the contract prohibited both parties from discussing the financial clauses of the contract. That was how 9 months after signing a memorandum of understanding, FECAFOOT and Le Coq Sportif officially signed a contract on January 10 2020.
What now?
With the Eto’o administration clearly not satisfied with the work of Le Coq Sportif, the public will soon know what company will be in charge of the national team. The top three are currently being examined by the executive committee unlike had happened with the Mbombo administration and hopefully, this time, the terms will be more beneficial for both parties.
